An Unexpected Night
by missbot
Summary: The wind demoness merely wanted to set eyes on Lord Sesshomaru. He finds her spying and suspects foul play. What happens next will affect the both of them. (Warning: This is rated M due to sexual themes.) This WAS a one-shot but has since been continued to to interest.
1. The Night

There was a foggy mist sitting in the air. The forest was alive at night with the sound of crickets and other small creatures skittering about. Two pale feet gently walked through, unaffected by the rocks and brush beneath them. A brightly colored kimono dressed a small but curvaceous figure. The wind sorceress looked out of place here in the middle of the woods. Her beauty and elegance contrasted her surroundings. The crooked trees gave way as she turned around the corner. Her red lips curled into a smile when she saw a line of smoke reaching up to the sky in the distance.

" _Sesshomaru's human girl." Kagura thought. "Such a pitiful creature.. humans need so much to live."_

A while ago she had met the young girl and her demon lord, Sesshomaru. She had admired from a distance the kind of protection and unspoken warmness that took place between the human and Sesshomaru. She wondered often what it was about Rin that made an aristocratic war hero like the dog demon keep her around. Rin seemed to be everything he was not. Small, charming, naive, and joyful. Perhaps she brought into his life what he could not obtain himself. Shaking her head, she walked a little closer to the camping grounds of the child.

Looking around, she saw no one but the young human herself, sitting by the firepit. She was warming her feet with a huge smile across her face as if nothing in this world could tear it off. This made Kagura angry. It did not show on her face, but in her aura. Why should such a helpless, dimwitted child be happy when she was not? Kagura was strong and beautiful, but it did not make her content. All the strength and beauty in the world would not make her happy if it meant she still had to serve her despicable Master, Naraku. The childs happiness taunted her.

She heard footsteps coming from a distance and hid herself further among the trees. It had been her wish to see Sesshomaru once more before she returned to Naraku. She had spoken with him once before, and she felt herself become smitten with the dog demon. He was strong, very strong, and very handsome. Of course, she hadn't a thing to say to him now. She had decided that he would be the one to release her from Naraku but hadn't yet decided how she would ask him. Surely, she could not come to him empty handed. No, Kagura would have to offer him something in return for this. But she owned very little, and did not have anything someone like Sesshomaru could desire. And so she decided she would gaze upon him from a good distance for now. Just once more before she had to leave to that desolate place she called home.

The footsteps had stopped and she peeked out again from behind the tree. But when she looked at the fire, again only the child was there.

"Hmm." Curiously, she turned around again.

Before she could turn back completely, she had a big strong hand around her neck, pinning her up against the tree. She gasped and her eyes became large as she looked to see who it was that had attacked her. It was the demon Lord, Sesshomaru, with a rather unreadable look on his face. Below him was the green toad, Jaken that often traveled at his side, his face looking angered.

"I say, my Lord, it is that devil woman, Kagura! The one who was created by that horrid creature Naraku." Jaken exclaimed.

Kagura's wide, frightened eyes were fixed on Sesshomaru's, as his met hers in return. His fingers were expertly place around her throat so she could not speak. Her vulnerability made her still. Kagura was no fool, she knew she was no match for the great dog demon.

"Master Jaken?" They all could hear a voice from a distance.

"Jaken, go to Rin." He said calmly, his eyes never leaving that of the wind demoness.

"Yes, my Lord!" Jaken said enthusiastically before waddling in Rin's direction.

"Master Jaken!" The child yelled.

"Stop your shouting, child!" Jaken scolded the girl.

A fear was growing in the demoness as the little green man disappeared in the distance. She thought herself silly for wanting to come back and spy on him like this. Pinned by her throat against the tree, she considered he might kill her for intruding. Her red eyes became weak looking at Sesshomaru. Still, even now, she thought him beautiful. He let go of her throat and her hands flew to it, caressing her abused throat..

"If you wish to live, you will walk in that direction silently until I say to stop." Sesshomaru spoke, pointing in the opposite direction of the campgrounds. It was obvious that he did not want to have this confrontation so close to his human girl.

Kagura thought now was the best time to take off. But an attempt to flee might result in him killing her so she obeyed and walked quietly. She could hear his footsteps behind hers as she walked, and wondered if he intended to let her go. After a couple minutes passed, she stopped hearing his footsteps, but she continued walking, hoping he was leaving her. A second later, there was a loud sound and a shot of pain went up her leg.

Kagura shouted, falling to the ground. She pulled her legs to her, investigating them. There was a bloody cut going across her calves. She groaned and looked up angrily at the demon who had caused the injury. Sesshomaru who had been wielding his whip, looked passively at the woman.

"Damn you! That hurt." She groaned, still feeling the stinging sensation in her legs. Against her pain, she stood. Breathing heavily, she whipped out her fan. She would not let the demon lord take her out without a fight.

"If I wished, I could have taken your leg off completely." Sesshomaru said plainly. "What are you doing here? On what errand has your Master sent you?"

"Naraku has not sent me to you. I was merely on my way back. What interest should either of us have in a one-armed man?" She shouted angrily, trying his patience.

"You are a liar." He said, ignoring her insult and making another strike with his whip. This time, it slashed her fan out of her hands and away from her. Kagura was starting to lose her composure, and began to walk backwards. She did a front flip, grabbing her fan and striking it in his direction. A gust of wind slashed at his chest, cutting him and making a few deep cuts in his perfect skin. It was time for an escape. She went to take the feather out of her hair and found that it was not there. As she fumbling through her hair for it, he had made his way in front of her. She was quick, but he was quicker.

Reaching down, he grabbed the wind sorceress by the back of her hair, making her drop her weapon once again.

"Looking for that?" He said in her ear, nodding to the ground for her to look. Her feather was on the ground a yard away from her. He must have taken it out when she wasn't looking. "I should send you back to Naraku in a box."

A part of her gave up then. Kagura knew it was pointless to fight Sesshomaru. He was too strong for her. Calmly, she dropped her hands to her sides.

"If you wish to take my life, I ask that you do not send my remains to him. He will only put me back together."

"It is not your wish that he do so?" Sesshomaru was intrigued. He let go of the demoness, aware now that she had given up.

"You seem not to know him, though that is not true. If I die this day, I would only be glad that it is by your hand and not his." Her eyes met his and he knew she was not lying. The woman who had before seemed arrogant and boisterous was displaying a more humbled and resigned state. This made Sesshomaru relax his approach.

"So it was not Naraku who sent you. Though I refuse to believe you just happened upon us like this."

Kagura let out a small reluctant smile, looking to the ground. "You are a very powerful demon, Sesshomaru. I marvel at a power much greater than my own."

Sesshomaru was taken aback by her statement. He had been flattered by the wind demoness before but not in this way. It was clear now that she had taken a liking to him. The war lord was not used to the ways of women, as he had very little time or patience for them. When he had engaged with women it was usually with the concubines of his defeated enemies. He found they were often glad to be rid of their Lords and wanted to repay him in kind. Her flattery made him angry, because he did indeed find the woman appealing. Her hair was messy from their confrontation, and her black curls fell over her face. Her rouge lips were small but full, and her big eyes hid under great thick black eyelashes. The demure woman was enticing and fiery.

But something in the dog demon wanted to resist her charms. She was still a servant of Naraku, the creature he hated most. Sesshomaru frowned.

"Slave." He said harshly. "What would your Master think to see you try and flatter his enemy into his liking?"

Kagura lifted her head to look into his eyes. His face was not too far from hers. She could smell him very strongly now. He had a great, manly musk about him. His words did not cut her as intended, but her smile faded.

"I suppose he may want to kill me.. or worse." She responded, wiping a streak of hair from her face.

"Then why do you risk suffering at his hand to tell me this?"

Kagura took a deep breath. "I didn't come to tell you this. I do not want to suffer anymore than I have already. You found me and forced the words out of my mouth. You wanted the truth."

She looked up at the moon that had risen to the middle of the sky and feeling of dread took over her. Even if she returned now, it would be too late. There would be no escape from Naraku's wrath. "And so you have it. And my fate is sealed."

He could see her trying hard to keep her composure. There was a panic inside of her that she kept well hidden. Any moment she could have her life taken from her. Her heart resided with Naraku, and she was aware that her absence might cause him to think she's tried to run off on him. And so he would decide to take her heart into his hands and crush her life away. The thought of it made her shudder. The silence between them was not very long. But it spoke volumes.

"I will not stop you-" Sesshomaru started, ready to let her return to her Master. But he was cut off.

"Lord Sesshomaru.. I can bring you to him. You can have the revenge you so desire this very night." Kagura offered. "Has he not crossed you before?"

"Such disloyalty to your creator. I will credit that to his own devious ways. Indeed, he has crossed me before. But you do not desire me to take revenge for myself. You have your own selfish reasons for me getting rid of him."

"You are so clever, Sesshomaru. It's true. I do wish for his death. He would not think twice about taking mine. You have your scores to settle, so why not? What holds you back?"

"Careful, woman. You will not use me so easily to gain your freedom. Tell me this.. If I were to kill your Master, I would also be taking what belongs to him as my right. You would be a servant still. How does this benefit you?"

Kagura's teeth grinded at this. "I have no desire to leave one prison to enter another. But I already know you would do the noble thing and give me my freedom."

"A risky assumption." Sesshomaru commented. "What would you give me in exchange for your freedom? You have nothing. Your clothing may be beautiful, and your jewelry may shine. You may possess powers beyond many other beings. But this Sesshomaru is not fooled. Beneath this fascade, you are a slave. And you will always be a slave. "

"I will have my freedom." She said, the anger in her rising. How dare he say such things to her?

Sesshomaru shook his head. He knew he would have no need for Kagura's service should he kill Naraku, but he could not allow her to use him for her own purposes. His pride would now allow it. "You will have nothing of the sort."

At this point, all she could see was red. He had delayed her, and put her in harms way. And now he was promising her that he would only take her for his own service if he were to kill Naraku. If it was his intention to fill her with rage, he had succeeded.

"You lousy son of a bitch.." She said, striking him across the face. "I wish I have never set eyes upon you. You bastard!" She pushed his chest.

Now, the dog demon Lord had been struck many times before in battle. But almost never by a woman, and never across the face like this. No one in this wide world had ever dared to disrespect him this way. It would surely be a confirmed death wish. He stood there, his expression still for a moment. The bravery of the woman before him stirred something odd within him. He was surprised and angry, but also very eager for action.

Kagura knew that if there was one more hope for life, she should run right now. But she had tough skin and stayed rooted into the ground, waiting for his reciprocation.

Sesshomaru's hand quickly reached for her face, pulling it into his. He kissed her with such ferocity she gasped for breath. A rush of emotions came crashing through her as she realized what was happening. She found that her cheeks were red as she began to kiss him back with an aggravated passion. They stayed in this motion for several moments before he broke the kiss and looked directly into her eyes. He could see that her fear was still evident.

His anger, though still present, was manifesting itself into a fueled challenge to take the demoness for himself. He wanted her entire body to tremble with his power. Sesshomaru wanted Kagura to feel his dominance deeply.

Sesshomaru roughly pulled the obi, making her hips move forward. Her robes became loose and began to fall off of her, and her hands crept up to her breasts to conceal them. Kagura was frozen in place, unsure of herself. Her desire to have Sesshomaru was becoming all too real for her. She wanted him to have her, but she was frightened still. Her lips shook with uncertainty and her eyes focused on his.

"Sesshomaru.." She began, reaching out for him longingly. He placed his hand up to silence her. She stopped in her tracks.

Approaching her, he placed his tough large hand around the back of her neck. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. From the back of her neck, he was able to control her movements. Her turned her, gently pushing her body forward into a nearby tree. Her thin pale arms wrapped around the tree, and she glanced behind her. Sesshomaru had begun to undress, and he was glowing. Looking forward again, she found herself gripping a branch in anticipation. For the first time ever, she wasn't thinking of Naraku.

A warm body pressed up against hers, and she gasped. His strong manly body took over hers. His arm wrapped around her figure. His strong hand wrapped around her jaw, he bit her neck. The hand had muffled her shriek as the sharp fangs of the dog demon entered her skin. It had both surprised and aroused her greatly. He moved his hand onto her hip and pulled her bottom back so his manhood could find what it was looking for. He could feel the heat of her lips as his body found the entrance. When it did, he thrusted into her.

Kagura jumped at this. The sting had been incredible, and it made her shout an obscenity. Sesshomaru was wild with his primal instincts. The feeling of his manhood inside of the sorceress was immense. He bit her again. She shrieked aloud, but did not fight it. He thrusted deeply into her again, and she groaned. Grasping her breast, Sesshomaru made her gasp with pleasure. His teeth gritted as he entered her again.

Kagura never knew she could feel such pleasure before. It was pain, but also a warm, tingling sensation inside of her. He pulled out again and she took a deep breath in. She felt his fingers grasp the hair at the nape of her neck, pushing her down. She let her body bend to his will. Her womanhood was red and exposed as he grazed his claws against them. She screamed with pleasure and tried to straighten her back but his fingers grasped her neck again, pushing her back down. Her legs shook violently.

Positioning himself behind her again, he thrusted harshly into her many times. Her fingernails scratched the tree in front of her.

"Sesshomaru!" She cried out.

His manhood became thicker at this call. He had her completely helpless under him, screaming his name in pleasure. He only pushed harder, listening to her melodic howls each time he entered her. Sesshomaru paused and pulled away, allowing her a breath. He had gained her complete submission, and so he began to show restraint. She fell onto her knees, breathing heavily. He saw the lash he had made across her calves, and he leaned down to pull her onto her back. Her long thin arm reached out to him pleadingly. He descended upon her, lifting her leg with his hand. He roughly kissed her legs all the way up to her wound, making her wince.

"I am a cruel man, Kagura. Look what this Sesshomaru has done to you."

Kagura reached out for his parted robes, pulling him into her. In her pleasure, it was as if she was drugged. She could only think of how she did not want him to stop. "Don't apologize.. Just have me. I am yours."

Their lips met again in a great display of lust. Her fingers caressed his neck as he positioned himself again. More gently this time, he entered her. She threw her head back and moaned. He positioned his hand on her bottom as he pushed in and out of her rhythmically. He took great pleasure in seeing how her expressions changed at his touch. This act was something different than he had with the concubines. With them, he had not cared as to whether or not they felt pleasure. He hadn't even looked them in the face as he used their bodies for his own pleasure. Sesshomaru was prepared to do the same to Kagura, but he couldn't help but look upon her face and be moved by her smiles of satisfaction.

It was becoming an act of passion, and although he felt hesitant he continued on. He dared to look into her eyes as they picked up in pace. He watched her big black eyelashes flutter as they found pleasure in each others bodies, rocking back and forth. Their foreheads met and their noses rubbed against each other. Just then, Sesshomaru let out a small growl. Kagura could feel his seed filling her. Her lips pulled into a smile as he did this.

"Sesshomaru..." She kissed his lips again before leaning back.

He pulled out of her, and looked at her for a couple minutes before standing up, replacing his robes. She crawled over to her kimono, wrapping it around herself. Tying her obi, she looked over to Sesshomaru. He was placing his armor back over his chest, and avoiding looking at her.

" _I felt something tonight I have not felt before." He thought to himself. "What is this strange feeling that caused me to want her pleasure? What is this?"_

He looked back over to Kagura who had dressed and was now tucking her fan into her sleeve.

" _What happens now?" He wondered._

Kagura looked almost as if she wanted to cry. She wanted nothing more than to hold Sesshomaru and steal his affections again, but there was something stopping her. Hovering in the air, she saw one of Naraku's saimyosho looking right at her and the dog demon. The confounded thing had been sent out to seek her and lure her back to the castle.

"I will kill Naraku. I suppose then you will have your freedom." He said.

When the expression on her face did not move from a trapped, sad expression he felt his chest burn.

"Yes.. but not today. You cannot come with me." She said. Naraku would kill her the very second he saw her returning with Sesshomaru in Kanna's mirror, and then she would never see Sesshomaru again. Knowing he could only see her and would not hear her, she used caution in her movements.

"What are you going to do?" Sesshomaru asked curiously.

"I will beg forgiveness." She said. "He will give it, but at no small price."

The thought of Naraku laying his hands on Kagura made Sesshomaru angry. He desired to free the wind sorceress from his grasp, but he would not say it. To admit this feeling would not be easy for him.

"I see.." Sesshomaru said, looking to the moon expressionlessly.

"You will come for me?" She asked, looking for a hint of his affection.

Sesshomaru looked over to the demoness and felt his chest burn again. He nodded. With no words, he had said all that was needed to be said. He would find Naraku, and kill him. Then she would be free.

Kagura wanted to smile but couldn't risk it. She nodded back to him. "Good night, Lord Sesshomaru."

And just like that, with a gust of wind, she was gone. He looked up and saw her feather flying further and further away from him, a strange bug following in her path.

Shaking his head, he began to make his way back to camp. He was silent the whole time, thinking upon his night. How had this woman made him feel such things? How did he allow such passions between them?

When he returned to camp, Rin was the first to notice him. The young girl had a huge smile on her face, and she was coming for him with her arms in the air.

"My Lord! How I've missed you!" The girl said merily, running circles around him as he walked over to the fire.

"Have you been good, Rin?" He asked, gaining a giggle from the girl.

"Yes, my Lord! I have made a fish for you to eat! See!" Rin shouted, offering him the burnt food.

"You know I do not eat this food, Rin. You eat it." Sesshomaru responded. The girl wanted to serve him so badly, but had nothing she could possibly offer to him that he would want. He just wanted her to be present, that was all.

Jaken looked to Sesshomaru happily. "I'm glad to see you have returned, my Lord. Pray tell, what has become of the wind demoness?"

"That Kagura woman?" Rin piped up.

Sesshomaru gave a glare to Jaken to be silent. Rin did not need to know about such things. Jaken became very silent.

"It is nothing, Rin. Eat your food." Sesshomaru told her.

He made himself comfortable by sitting down over against a nearby tree. He looked again to the night sky, wondering again about Kagura's fate. He seemed almost entranced in his own thoughts.

"What is Lord Sesshomaru thinking about?" Rin asked, stuffing her face with the burnt fish.

"I don't know, child, I don't know.."

The moon was now on the opposite side of the horizon, and Sesshomaru closed his eyes.


	2. Sullied

_(SO I feel like I got enough responses on my one shot to kind of do a bit of a continuation. Thank you for those who left encouraging reviews! :) You are all great.)_

 **Sullied**

" _Damn Naraku. He tracks my every step. When will it be that I get to choose my own path?"_

Kagura had made her way back to the castle of Naraku. At first, she had been careful of every step she made, so no one could hear her. But then when she thought how silly that was, she became heavier. Naraku would know where she was. There was no way around that.

" _What did Naraku see? What does he know? Sesshomaru...Why did I ever let you get the best of me?"_

 _Visions of the regal dog demon in his long white and red robed flashed through her mind. Her soul becoming weak with the very vivid memory of that nights events. They had become lustful creatures, and threw themselves at each other. Kagura did not regret it for a minute. To let herself go in such a way was nothing short of wonderful. But she did fear the repercussions of letting herself fall for the enemy._

" _He will come for me..I hope. But first, I must live past this night."_

She made her way down the dark dismal halls that were smoking with a light miasma. Kagura could never stand the smell of that stuff. She covered her nose with her fan and looked to both sides of her, nervous about returning here under these conditions.

Naraku was not a merciful being, he expected all of his incarnations to act only at his words. She had been struck down by him before when she came to the castle to confront him. A squeeze of her heart and she had been grounded in the most painful way. Kagura knew that there was a chance that he would choose to be rid of her this night, but she had to take a chance and appeal to him. There was no other way. If he wanted to kill her, he could have done it without summoning her back. So she hoped that he was going to at least let her explain herself.

" _What will I even say?"_

She found the room that adjoined Naraku's chambers and felt a shiver go down her spine as she made her way inside. There was nothing in this room but a curtain that separated her from her creator. He was nothing but a black shadow against the curtain. He was seated and very still, looking forward. Naraku saw the figure of Kagura, a curvy small body with bare feet enter his space. The curtain between them showing her silhouette.

Kagura did not say anything, but she knew what to do.

Kneeling on the floor, she placed her weapon neatly in front of her and slid it in his direction, disarming herself. This move was vital to show that she was not going to attempt to defend herself. She felt a cold air rush into the room, his red eyes watching her silently through the shade of the curtain. She did not want to do what came next, but she did not want to seem insincere. Staying on her knees, she bent forward, making a low bow. She breathed out onto the floor, biting her lip.

Naraku sat there unmoving as he watched Kagura move into a bow. He thought back to earlier that night when he had noticed that the wind demoness had not returned from the errand he had sent her on. He had thought perhaps she had run into some trouble, and fell victim to another demon. He then summoned his saimyosho and sent them out to find her.

" _That one is troublesome." He said to himself._

" _Kanna." He called out for the ghost of a girl who resided in his castle. The pale girl appeared before him almost immediately, her odd mirror in her little hands. She knelt before him, and looked down into her mirror, adjusting it. She already knew what to do. An image began to appear, and he saw the black skies and the moon as his saimyosho fled through the sky. After several minutes of this, he saw a forest come into view._

 _A clearing in the trees gave way to the saimyosho and Naraku could see two figures. He saw the naked back of the pale dog demon. He saw the thin legs of Kagura to either side of his waist, and he noticed they had been cut, and his teeth grinded. He cursed under his breath. Kanna looked on as Sesshomaru railed into the body of Kagura when she looked up to Naraku, obviously not sure exactly what she was seeing._

" _It would appear that Sesshomaru has decided to take his revenge on me by attacking Kagura. A poor choice, indeed. I am not moved by it. Besides, he will not be able to kill her as I have her heart."_

 _As the word "heart" rolled out of his mouth, he saw Kagura's hand reaching up to grab Sesshomaru and bringing him down onto her lips. He glared as her face finally came into view. She was not beaten or bleeding at all. Infact, she was smiling. The wind demoness had given herself willingly to the demon Lord._

" _I see." He said calmly, looking away. "You can go now. Make sure she returns unaccompanied."_

 _His tone had covered for his anger. But Kanna was no fool. Naraku was not at all pleased with what he had seen._

Naraku began to stand, glaring at the woman. He pulled the curtain aside, and stepped into the room. Kagura became increasingly nervous as he remained silent, his steps thudding lightly on the floor as he made his way around her. She stayed in her position, feeling his eyes burning into her. His left hand swooped down to retrieve her fan. She hoped that he would choose to show mercy for once in his miserable existence, but knew it was too much to hope for.

"I do not have patience for those who do not intend to show loyalty." He said, tapping his shoulder with her fan.

"My loyalty is to you. Forgive me." She said, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Naraku leaned over, and used her fan to lift her head. When her eyes met his, she almost wished for death. His dark red eyes bore deep into hers, making her feel hopeless. "So you admit being lovers with that dog demon?"

"I do not love him. He is nothing but a pompous dog." She blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. She wasn't telling the whole truth. Sure, he was very full of himself, but she was very fond of him. But she needed to lie to appease Naraku. "It was an act and nothing more."

He stood straight and brought his arm back. When it came forward, Kagura's fan connected with her face with a loud thud, making her fall to the side. Naraku was the type to get others to do his dirty work. He, however, did not hesitate to sully his hands upon those who could not fight back. This Kgaura already knew. Although his actions were violent, his voice remained calm and collected. "Kagura, you do not have the right to give your body to anyone. Your body is not yours. You belong to me. I thought I had made that perfectly clear. But it seems not."

Kagura felt an overwhelming sense of defeat as she held her inflamed face. He reached into his sleeve and slowly removed a glowing red orb.

" _My heart." It was as if things slowed down in this moment, and she had accepted her untimely death gracefully. She thought of the dog demon in all his beauty. "Sesshomaru.."_

Naraku dropped her heart onto the floor and she held onto her chest, beginning to cough from the abrupt leap in her chest. He looked directly into her eyes as he placed his barefoot on top of it. She stopped and looked up at him. He lifted his foot as if he were going to stomp on her heart, and she breathed heavily, but did not stop to flinch. She looked right at him, bravely accepting her fate. Naraku's teeth grinded and he put his foot down gently to the side of her heart, leaving it undamaged. It levitated off of the ground and slid back into his sleeve. Kagura sighed in relief that he had decided not to stomp her life away. A single tear fell down her cheek at the thought that maybe she might get to see Sesshomaru again.

"I allow you to continue living, but this act cannot go unpunished." Naraku said, his eyes slithering down to her.

Kagura nodded, not wanting to look back up at him. There were no more words to be had. She hardly had time to recoil as Naraku's large hand grabbed her up by the back of her hair. She showed little resistance as he dragged her out of the room and into the hall. In the hallway, the ghostly girl Kanna stood, looking at the scene before her. Naraku snapped at her, and Kanna looked to the rug below her feet. Without lifting a finger, she made the rug move out of the way and two cellar doors flung open. Naraku held Kagura over the open door and she saw the deep black pit of a room below her. She closed her eyes tightly and let out a small cry as she was tossed down like a rag doll to the room below. Her body landed on the floor and her head hit the ground. She laid very still on her back, and looked up at the opening where Naraku had been. Her vision became lame, and her head felt light as she watched the door close, enveloping her in darkness. Her head dropped back onto the ground as she slowly fell out of consciousness.

….

"My Lord!" Screeched Jaken. "Lord Sesshomaru! Do you hear me?!"

Sesshomaru sat serenely at the edge of a long river, silent as ever. He looked into the blue water as it ran hastily across the riverbed. He had of course heard Jaken speaking to him for the past couple of minutes, but was too deep in his own thoughts to listen to the imp. The dog demon thought of the night he had seduced the wind demoness, Kagura. How he said he would come for her.

" _Why have I promised this? Why do I think of her even now when she is out of my way?.. Will I keep my promise?" He thought before an even darker thought entered his mind. "Is she even alive for me to keep this promise? Whether or not she is, Naraku will know true pain before he dies."_

"Master Sesshomaru!" Jaken was even closer to the dog demon now, trying to get his attention. The imp cried out when Sesshomaru's hand grabbed him by his clothes and tossed him into the river. The imp angrily thrashed around in the water, swimming back to the edge as Sesshomaru watched. "My Lord, how could you?"

"Be silent for once, Jaken." Was all Sesshomaru said.

Rin was giggling as she approached the both of them. "Master Jaken, even I know better than to yell in our lord's ear like that. You're so silly."

Jaken glared at the girl and waved his staff. "Oh, I'll give you something to laugh about, young lady."

Rin covered her mouth, containing the laughs that had procured from Jaken's empty threats. She knew that Jaken was too afraid of Sesshomaru to punish her.

"I just don't understand what has got you so distracted, my Lord." Jaken commented, trying to dry himself off from his unwanted dip.

" _I am the Lord of the West, how have I allowed myself to become involved with a tool of Naraku?" He scolded himself. "I cannot deny what I felt, but also I wish to uphold my promises as a man of honor. I will free her of Naraku.. if she lives. He will perish when I find him.."_

" _And then?" An interjecting thought chimed in. "This Sesshomaru cannot possibly lower myself so low as to make a slave my woman. Can I?.. Would I?"_

"Let us travel on south." He said, "I seek information from my little brother."

"Inuyasha?" Jaken screeched. "What could that lowly half demon know that you do not, my Lord?"

"Be silent." Sesshomaru warned, beginning to stand. "And fetch Ah Un."

Rin ran to Sesshomaru's side, clinging to his knee. "My Lord, you will take me, won't you?"

He looked down into the eyes of the young human girl who loved him. It was unspoken, but it was a requited feeling. Sesshomaru did not fully understand what it was he felt for the young human girl, but he knew he wanted to keep her safe so she could maintain her childlike wonder and innocence. A luxury only few could afford. He knelt down and ran his fingers across her little cheek and nodded.

"Yes, Rin. You will accompany me this time."

The little girl squeaked in joy, letting him go. She danced happily, chasing Jaken who gently woke the sleeping two headed dragon. Ah Un pushed Jaken aside to allow Rin onto his back. The dragon loved the little girl who would have been food to him but a few months ago. Jaken growled at this.

"I don't know why he keeps you around, Rin." Jaken would often say. He didn't truly understand what made Sesshomaru want to keep Rin around, but he accepted it. "If he wanted a pet, he should have gotten a fish."

Sesshomaru climbed atop Ah Un and Jaken pulled himself on last. Ah Un stretched his wings and flew into the sky, like a giant bird. Sesshomarus hair flew with the wind and he became silent once again.

" _I wish to find out more about this Naraku."_

…

Blood. Kagura could feel the hot fluid crawling down her back. Looking down, she could see it pooling around her bare feet. Tilting her head upwards, she tried not to look down so she wouldn't have to look at it. She clenched her teeth as she looked at her bound hands. She pulled at them, but to no result. She had been stripped naked and bound by her wrists overhead with cold, digging chains. She bit her lip, bracing herself.

A loud sound rang in her ears and she could feel her back become overwhelmed with pain. A small grunt escaped her lips. She looked down at her bloody feet and breathed out.

"Kagura.." She could Naraku's voice. She looked up to see his face, emotionless.

"Stop this. I can't stand it any longer." She breathed heavily.

Naraku looked at Kagura and then down. In his hands was a large scaled whip, sullied with the wind sorceress' blood. Circling her, he looked to Kagura's abused back which was already trying to heal. He could see the broken skin repairing itself. But it was far from reaching its goal. Her skin was torn apart and he could hardly recognize the spider shaped scar on her back. The very mark he had repeatedly and unsuccessfully tried to cut off his own back would repair in time.

Making his way around her again, he let her see the instrument that was being used on her. "This weapon is made with the skin of a crocodile demon. He wasn't easy to take out."

When she did not respond, he continued."Did you think I would not find out about the dog demon? My Kagura, I know every step you make. You are mine, and you always will be. There is more than just your heart that holds you to me. No.. you are bound to me through much more than that. You will honor your Master from now on."

Kagura continued her silence, looking towards the ground. Naraku's hand grabbed her chin, making her look up. "You will learn to be faithful only to me."

He took a step back, never letting his eyes leave hers. Her red eyes looked back at his as he took a few steps to her side. The whip unrolled from his fingers and made a small clack when it hit the floor.

"You are not done yet." The words made Kagura breath out in exasperation. She had been tied here for the past hour. She managed to hold in a lot of her suffering in that time. Looking into Naraku's eyes, she saw no hint of sympathy. She threw her head back in anticipation of the first strike as Naraku flung it forward. When it connected, she could feel the scales of the crocodile skin slicing through her fair skin. She grunted loudly. The bored expression never shifted from Naraku's face as he watched her try to brace herself for the second strike. When it came, he saw her stifle her pain. Her naked legs trembled terribly.

" _Sesshomaru.." She tried to move her thoughts away from the immense pain she was in._ The third strike came down on her thighs, and blood splattered against the black wall. Kagura shouted, unable to hold back anymore. _"_ _Sesshomaru.."_ _She could almost see his face.._ A couple tears came down her face as she threw her head back. The slash of the next hit brought forth another agonizing cry. A small smirk came over Naraku's face as the wind demoness screamed with each strike.

After a few minutes of this, Naraku could hear her half-shouting something unintelligible between strikes. The grin on his face fell, and he stopped. With a snap of his fingers, the chains that bound Kagura's wrists loosened. Her body fell forward and she landed on her hands, still in great pain. She could feel her back burning as it tried to repair itself. Her face but an inch away form a pool of her own blood. "Say it again.." He commanded.

Naraku took another step toward her, and she flinched, quickly making her way onto her knees. Kagura looked to the bloody floor of the cellar as her breathing slowed. A relief from the pain did not make her feel any better about his presence. She slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze. The look on his face made her body feel hollow, as if there was no more left of her to harm. She had been a very willful and wayward creature up until this point. "Please forgive me, Master Naraku."

"I will show forgiveness but this once. You have betrayed my trust, and therefore you will not be permitted to leave this castle until I say so. Every move you make will be because I have commanded it."

Kagura's choked back tears through her words. "I promise.."

"Promise? What good is your word?" Naraku hissed. "You may thank me for letting you live."

" _Live?" She thought as she looked at her own hands, covered in blood. "If this is mercy, let me have death."_

"Thank you.." The words had been forced from her lips. She cradled her face in her hands.

Naraku smirked at his work. It looked as if he had broken his wind sorceress. A feat in which he would not take for granted. He found enjoyment in it and would keep her alive if just to see her miserable.

When Kagura looked up again, he was gone. But the door that led out of this terribly cold and damp cellar was open and calling to her. She rose to her feet and stared up through the beam of purple light. What was the point of leaving the cellar? There was nothing but more degradation and loathing on the other side of the door. She closed her eyes as she walked toward it.

 _A long white arm extended to her. The very arm that had held her body so closely the night before. "Sesshomaru.." Kagura knew her mind was playing tricks on her, but she let herself believe it if only for just a moment. She reached out for it, and was pulled up out of her misery. But only for a moment._


	3. Wandering Eyes

(Hey guys sorry for the wait. Got caught up in stuffs. Promise it won't be so long next time. Thanks for reading.)

 **Chapter 3 : Wandering Eyes**

 _I am surrounded by walls. Day after day I stare into the abysmal nothingness. It has been forever since I've left my Master's castle. Or maybe it only seems that way. My days are long and listless, with nothing to keep me sane. I fear that I may never leave Naraku. The worst of all monsters. One who has no purpose. He keeps me close so that he may taunt me in my moments of weakness._

"My Kagura is unhappy." Naraku said, a malicious smirk making it's way across his face as he glanced at her. He was sitting in his usual spot, whittling away at a piece of wood with a crude knife. It was beginning to take the shape of a man. With this, he would create a puppet of his likeness. His skilled hands worked slowly and precisely.

Kagura was leaning against the wall, trying to look out of the window in Naraku's chambers. There was bamboo blinds over it, not allowing her to see beyond the room. It was clear from her appearance that she had been neglectful of herself for some time. Being shut away had taken a toll on her health, even more so than the horrible beating that had taken place weeks before. Her lips were a faded rouge and her hair was unpinned, the black waves falling around her face and shoulders. The brightly colored kimono she wore was loose, showcasing her thin bony shoulders. Her eyes trailed down to a candle that was lit, allowing Naraku to work on his puppet.

"Does it bring you pleasure to observe?" She said, her tone was dry.

"Come, now. Why should I want your unhappiness? I did not lure you away from your duties. If you are to blame anyone for your pain, it should be that Sesshomaru. He is the one who took advantage of you."

" _Lies." She thought to herself. Although his words crept into_ _the_ _back of her head, making it seem possible._ "That's not true."

The slice of the knife against wood was menacing. "Don't be so naive, Kagura. He would have tossed you aside soon enough. But not me. I have shown you forgiveness and taken you back into my good graces. Show some gratitude."

Kagura's disposition changed as she knelt by Naraku's side. There was a sadness in her voice, and she did not attempt to hide it. "You say I am in your good graces, but you keep me caged like an animal. I need the outdoors, the wind, or I will wither away. Please-"

The slam of wood on the floor made Kagura jump. She saw the half done puppet bounce against the wall and then making circular motions on the ground. Then it stopped. She didn't dare to look away from it. Remaining very still, she looked as Naraku's shadow moved to stand.

Naraku looked down at the wind demoness. Although she was unkempt, it was hard to hide her natural beauty. Her thin white face and dark lips were contrasted well in the candlelight. This face he had created, much like the wooden puppet. She was no more than a possession to him. A prized piece of art in his collection of calamities. Her hair hung messily around her bare shoulders. He let a hand slide down to run his fingers over her hair, and found she was shaking. When his fingers found her chin, he snapped her head up to look at him. Kaguras scarlet eyes met with his, and he could see how frightened she had become of him.

 _Naraku had created her after Kanna, whom at first he had considered a failure. She did not speak after he breathed life into her. Her dark, hollow eyes would watch him inquisitively as she followed him through the castle. He thought perhaps there was nothing behind those eyes. And so he began creating Kagura, and it was promising that this one would be better, stronger, and more lively._

 _She had exceeded his expectations. He had_ _succeeded in_ _creat_ _ing_ _a being completely_ _separate_ _from himself. Even when Kanna began to speak and show intelligence, he saw that she was still mindlessly devoted to his whims. Kagura was different. She was_ _feisty_ _and_ _opinionated_ _, and was completely aware of her immense power. Worried that she would turn on him, he took her heart as blackmail._ _Naraku expected her to act submissively toward him, and she only did out of fear._

Her trembling snapped him out of his thoughts. He still had her chin in the palm of his hand. He let it fall down to her neck, and squeezed gently.

"Why so eager to leave? Are you not satisfied with your place here? Or is it that you wish to seek out your canine prince?"

"No. I have told you.. he is nothing to me." Her small pale hands pulled at his, trying to pry them off.

"Lies. You will give yourself to him again."

"Naraku.." She whispered.

He pressed his thumb deeper into her throat. "No one else will touch you."

"Master Naraku.." A small voice chimed from the doorway. It was Kanna, interrupting with her cold, empty stares.

"I did not call for you." He growled.

"I have located Kikyou." She said plainly. "That was your wish, was it not?"

"Kikyou.." His tone betrayed him, exposing his deep interest in the sullen priestess.

Naraku released Kagura from his grip. "Leave us."

Kagura watched as he turned his back to her. Her eyes traveled to Kanna, who had interrupted suspiciously at the right time. Maybe in her own way, she was trying to save Kagura from Naraku's aggressions. But that would mean Kanna had a will of her own, and the wind demoness refused to believe that a sentient being would be so blindly devoted to Naraku. Kagura stood, brushing herself off. She attempted to look poised, and cleared her throat.

"As you wish." She said, holding her head up high as she glided out of the room.

Kagura's footsteps sped up as she became further away from Naraku. When she found her quarters, she slid open the doors and slammed them behind her. Her back slid down the wall until she landed on the floor. She bit her fist to stifle whatever noise might escape her.

" _Bastard! How dare he get into my head like that. Sesshomaru meant what he said. He will come and destroy Naraku, and then I will be free. He isn't stringing me along. I have to believe it."_

… _.._

" _It seems Inuyasha has found refuge in the village of the priestess Kikyou who cursed him decades ago. An act of benevolence, in my opinion. I personally wouldn't have been so forgiving. But then again, I would not have found myself in that situation. He really is such a pathetic being."_

Sesshomaru could see the little village he had come for in the distance. He had been following the scent of his half brother all day. He did not enjoy the scent, because it reminded him of Izayoi, Inuyasha's human mother. The woman who had stolen his father away from his perfect mother. After his father died, the Tetsaiga was announced to be inherited by her half breed son and it took every inch of Sesshomaru's being not to savagely rip the woman from limb to limb. He had been dissuaded from taking such an action by his own mother. He could never understand why she had defended her own rival like that.

It was then he saw the people of the village, and they saw him. A man grabbed his child and ran away with great haste. A village girl screamed at the sight of the two headed dragon. If Sesshomaru hadn't been trying to make a dramatic entrance, he had failed miserably. By the time they had reached the ground, everyone had been hidden away in their homes. Sesshomaru smirked to himself, thinking how pathetic it was. If he had come to kill, hiding would hardly have done them any good.

He squinted to focus on the few figures that weren't hidden away. Sure enough, he found what he was looking for. The young girl that resembled the priestess came into view. He recognized her by her strange outfit. Instead of wearing a traditional kimono like other women, she wore a short green skirt that exposed her thighs. An immodest outfit, he thought. There were the other two humans that traveled with Inuyasha. The monk and the demon slayer. Then he saw his half brother. Sesshomaru then leaped from the dragon's back and landed gracefully before them.

"Inuyasha.."

"Sesshomaru, what do you want? If you've come to fight-"

Sesshomaru raised his hand to silence him. "Assumptive little brother. I have not come to fight. I have come for information regarding the one called Naraku, and you will be the one to volunteer this information."

"Naraku.. What could you possibly want with him?"

"That is my own business, Inuyasha."

"I don't think so, Sesshomaru!" An annoying, sharp voice chimed in. It was the girl, Kagome, who joined the conversation, uninvited. Taking a step towards him, with her hands on her hips. "Anything that has to do with Naraku is our business."

Sesshomaru did not want to be talked down to by a human, especially not a female human. He reached for his weapon and Inuyasha rushed to Kagome's defense, putting himself between her and Sesshomaru.

"Get away from her.." Inuyasha growled.

"I won't have any nearby villagers harmed if there should be a fight between these two. Let them speak with one another peacefully." Miroku said aloud.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!" A faint voice called in the distance. "Wait for me!"

He turned his eyes to see that Rin was headed straight for himself and Inuyasha. His eyes traveled back to his brothers, and he released his aggressive stance. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango watched as the little girl ran to Sesshomaru. When she became close, she noticed the other people and smiled widely.

"It's that little girl again." Sango said quietly to Miroku. "I'm surprised to see that she is still with Sesshomaru."

Miroku nodded. "His softness for humans is evident, though he would never admit it."

Of course, the dog demon had heard them but chose not to acknowledge them. "I think it would be best for Inuyasha and I to speak alone."

"Why should I?" Inuyasha said, before receving a harsh nudge from Miroku.

"Just go and speak with him. You two will not have it out here." The monk ordered.

"Fine.." The half demon grumbled.

Sesshomaru's face remained solemn as he began to walk in the opposite direction of the village. "Rin, I will return but you must not follow me."

"Yes, my Lord." The girl said, her wide smile turning into a look of disappointment.

Inuyasha walked parallel to his brother, not bothering to look in his direction. He didn't understand why his arrogant, violent sibling would come to him for anything. The two had been feuding for a long time, and did not have friendly conversations. Sesshomaru thought himself superior to his half human brother and treated him as so. But that didn't seem to matter now. They had a similar enemy, and that was more important at the moment. Kagome watched as they diappeared.

"I just don't get it. Why all of a sudden is Sesshomaru interested in Naraku?" Sango queried.

"Don't forget, the guy was also lied to by him. He gifted him an arm that almost destroyed him." Miroku chimed in.

"Yeah, I also won't forget that it was Inuyasha that he tried to take out with the gifted arm. I just don't get their relationship at all." Kagome said.

The group was silent for a moment before they realized the child was still there, watching for Sesshomaru.

"Rin, come with us. We will give you something to eat." Kagome said.

She felt very bad for the young girl that found herself enamored with the dog demon. It was very clear the child fed and cared for herself. A demon couldn't possibly know how to take care of a girl. And yet he continued to let her follow him around. Kagome wanted to brush her hair, and give her a warm meal. Maybe some human comforts would convince the girl to leave his side.

"I really should stay here. Lord Sesshomaru will come back soon. He might miss me."

"I promise I will not let him leave without you.." Sango said, smiling.

"Well.. I guess so."

…

 _I used to be a human man. I used to feel and yearn like the rest of them. The truth I so grudgingly face is that I still do. Time has made me fuller; stronger. But I still carry with me the mortal Onigumo. I must cast him aside at first chance. Until then, I will continue to feel his wants and needs. "The woman", he calls out to me. "Kikyou." Why can't I ignore this heart? "Kikyou. Kikyou.." Stop it. You are no longer in charge of this body. I will not let you stop me from destroying all who stand in my path- including your dear Kikyou._

Naraku walked slowly through the castle that he created, holding his forehead with his hand. The voice would stop. It always did eventually. As he walked slowly past the rooms where Kagura and Kanna would be, he glared. The outline of Kanna, sitting silently alone in an empty room caught his eye. The child would sit there and stare into her mirror day in and day out if he did not call for her. There was little to her. She was so empty and wanted nothing. This is the way he wanted her.

Looking to his left, he noticed that the room Kagura occupied was empty. He could feel her presence in the castle, but she was not within view. Walking further down the halls of the castle, he thought of his creation. Perhaps it was time to show trust in the little demoness again. Naraku was convinced he had broken her spirit. To his delight, she was acting submissively towards him.

When he heard the sound of water splashing he paused, and followed the sound. When he found the source, his hand left his forehead and he stared ahead.

Kagura picked up another jug and lifted it above her head. The water came cascading down her head and face, then down to her chest and stomach. Her hair became flat with the water soaking in. She closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the feeling of the cold water. But she found very little enjoyment.

Naraku looked at the naked body of his creation. Keeping her in was taking a toll on her, it was obvious. She was a wind demon and needed the elements to stay strong. Her skin was pale and colorless. Her bones were becoming defined as her once curvaceous body was beginning to disappear with neglect. Her small breasts swayed from side to side gently as she poured the water over herself. His eyes made their way down to her hips, and then to her backside. He felt a particular feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time. Just underneath his robes, his manhood became lively with the image of the nude woman.

The wind demoness got the sudden feeling that she was not alone, and turned her head to the left. To her surprise, Naraku stood there. Their eyes locked. It was not shocking to her that he saw her nudity. He was the one that created her, after all. There had been a few occasions in which he found it necessary to inspect her body for injuries so he could further understand his opponents. But this wasn't like those times. She could see the frustrated look in his eye. Something had disturbed him about seeing her this way.

" _What does he want?"_

Standing there soaked, she looked at Naraku with a solemn expression.

"Kagura.."

"Is something wrong, Master?" Her deep, womanly voice rang in his ears.

Naraku looked her up and down, paying attention to her waist and below. She was perfect, even in this state. Her dark eyes blinked, a single speck of water fell from her eyelash to her cheek and then down her face. He was aroused, and he blamed it of course on the human heart residing deep beneath his skin. Onigumo had been no saint. He would steal, maim, and rape to satisfy his greedy heart. And so, naturally, Naraku too felt these desires. He knew very well he could have Kagura if he wanted her. Refusing him was not an option. But allowing himself to become obedient to Onigumo's desires was not something he wanted.

"Kagura.. Prepare yourself. I am going to give you one last chance to prove to me that you can be loyal."

Her eyes widened. "I will be permitted to leave the castle?"

"Try not to look so eager. You will complete your task and return promptly. Come to me when you are.. more suitable."

Kagura looked down to her thinning body, and felt immodest for the first time. Something she had never been made to feel. "Yes.. of course."

Naraku looked her over once more before turning. The silhouette of her body still fresh in his mind.

….

"The demon with a human heart." The words rolled off Sesshomaru's tongue. "A dangerous combination. These things were never meant to be."

"Well, it has happened. We cannot allow him to collect all of the Shikon Jewel, or we can say goodbye to this world as we know it." Inuyasha said, looking over the hill, where the sun was beginning to go down.

"No such thing will happen. It is my intention to destroy him."

"He's mine, Sesshomaru. You have not been betrayed by him the way I have."

"A lowly demon like him must be made quick work of. You have hardly made progress in being rid of him."

"You obviously have no idea how elusive that bastard is." Inuyasha grunted.

"I assume this much. In our whole conversation, I have heard nothing from you of how to locate this creature."

"If I knew where he was, do you think I would be here?" Inuyasha shouted frustratedly. "I would be out there, making him pay for everything he has done to me.. to Sango.. to Miroku.. to Kikyou.."

Sesshomaru's eyes met with his younger brothers. He could see the pain and suffering behind them. Not that he cared at all. He could see the emotions that ran through all creatures that walked the earth but hardly found himself in a position to feel them himself. Being a war hero does not allow you the normal range of emotions. At times, his anger seemed to be the only emotion he could muster.

"Well then I think that concludes this visit." Sesshomaru muttered.

Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement. He was more than ready to see Sesshomaru out.

When Sesshomaru made his way back to the edge of the village, he saw Jaken pacing neurotically by Ah Un, as usual. The little imp could never calm himself even for a moment.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" He cried out. Before he could continue, Sesshomaru raised his hand to silence him.

"We are leaving."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" A little voice rang in his ears.

He looked to his left and saw little Rin running toward him. He almost didn't recognize her for a moment. Her dusty face had been scrubbed clean. Her usual tangled mess of hair was neatly braided to the side. Her big brown eyes looked eager as she stopped in front of him.

"Lord Sesshomaru. Miss Kagome did my hair. Don't I look lovely?" She squealed, twirling around merrily.

Sesshomaru looked at the little girl doing circles to impress him. She was lovely. To see her being treated well by other humans pleased him. When she found him many months ago, it was obvious that she had been brutalized. He remembered trying to reason with himself why grown men would have had any reason to put their hands on a small girl. She had clearly been rejected by her own kind, but for what crime? Being an orphan?

"Let's not waste time." He said, turning away.

"Yes, Sir!" Rin shouted playfully before turning and waving to everyone. "Bye!"

Kagome waved back, watching the little girl trail behind Sesshomaru like a puppy dog. She let out a concerned smile. "I hope she'll decide eventually to be with other people."

"Fat chance." Inuyasha said.

Kagome looked up once more and saw the two headed dragon soaring away.

The skies were turning a dark blue to a grey as Ah Un weaved through the clouds. Sesshomaru looked at Rin's face.

"Do you enjoy being with the other people?" He asked.

Rin sat there for a moment, thinking of a response. "I like being with you the most, Lord Sesshomaru."

"That wasn't what I asked. Do you like them?"

Rin shrugged. "I suppose I like Kagome.. She's nice. But I don't want to be with them. I just like being with you."

Sesshomaru nodded. He knew one day he would have to return her to her own kind. But it seemed that he never wanted to when the chance arose. And so she stayed by his side. But that did not stop him from thinking about the future.

"Rin, one day you will meet a young man and then things will be different." Jaken said.

She did not want to believe that was true. She wanted to follow Sesshomaru always.

"Besides, Lord Sesshomaru will eventually marry a Lady and there will be no more room for you in his life."

Tears began to well up in Rin's eyes. Sesshomaru glared daggers into Jaken.

Although it was true, he had a hard time imagining himself getting into an arrangement with any of the eligible females he was expected to court. Women born into privilege, who thought they knew better than he did. He would never become complacent with any of them.

 _He thought of the black haired beauty that had taken him weeks ago. The vessel of his enemy, who dared to be her own person. He wanted to see her face again, to feel her curvaceous body against his own._

Snapping himself out of it, he turned to the little girl."Rin, that day is not yet here. The tears end here."

He watched as Rin tried to pull herself together for him. Silence took over as they glided through the air.

…

Kagura tied her wavy black hair back, and stared ahead to the blank off white wall. She could not shake the image of Naraku's eyes wandering over her flesh. He had never looked at her that way before, so it made her worry. Everything before that had not been surprising. In fact, it was expected. His intrusions, his demands, even his violence was nothing new. If there was one thing Kagura knew about it, it was that she did not like it. She did not want his eyes lingering, making her feel as if he might leap out and devour her whole. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

" _Should he ever act with more than his eyes, I will tear them out… Right.. Who am I kidding?"_

Her pales fingers reached down to a small round box. Flicking it open with her other finger, she looked down into the vivacious red paste. Dipping her finger gently into it, she brought it to her lips, painting them until they were their usual seductive rouge. Snapping the box closed and tossing it aside, Kagura looked around herself. She found her jade pearls, laying on the ground collecting dust. Punching them into her ears, she thought of when she had been given these things. A short lived time where she had admired her creator, and wanted to serve him.

" _To my wind dancer.." The note said. "You are ready. Tonight the blood of our enemies will spill across these castle walls. The wolf clan is expected to arrive soon, so be ready. I trust that you will give our guests a performance they will never forget."_

 _Kagura covered the smirk that came across her face with her fan. Life was new and promising, although she knew that she had been alive before in some different form. She lifted the beautiful ear rings with her left hand and admired them. She thought of her good fortune. To have a Master who gifts her and places great trust in her was something she could certainly get used to. Thinking of him again, she bit her bottom lip. Leaning back, she thought of his thick, long wavy hair and his muscular body.._

Kagura cringed at the thought that she had once found her Master attractive. The skin he wore wasn't even his own. It had once belonged to a wealthy young human Lord.. that poor beautiful bastard. Naraku's power and good looks had worked its charms on her. Power.. power and wealth. That's what she would have should she be his champion. And so she had been very determined to become just that. But in a short time she would find that her first impressions were anything but reality. Her charming, doting creator would soon show his true colors and leave her bitter and angry.

Kagura pulled herself onto her feet. She had to go to him, although she had no desire to. Gliding into the hall, she took consolation in the fact that she would be able to finally feel the wind against her skin again. She hardly cared what she had to do to get there. Bloodshed had no impression on her. Infact, sometimes it gave her pleasure to take life. Naraku intended her to be a killer, and that was what she was. That was an aspect of her existence that she could not escape.

When she drew close to Naraku's chambers, she moved aside the curtains with her fan. She saw him there, in his usual hunched position on the floor, facing away from her. She took a step closer and then kneeled down gently. They stayed like this for a moment, the awkward silence enveloping the room.

"There is a tribe of rat demons several miles away from here." His voice was deep and raspy.

"Oh? And of what importance is that to us?"

He paused before continuing. "When I noticed they were getting closer, I investigated into them. They have sensed the Shikon jewel and intend to invade the castle."

Kagura let out a genuine laugh for the first time in a while. "Well, I would like to see them try."

Naraku slowly rose to his feet. "I am much too busy with my work. I cannot afford to have any distractions. You will exterminate the vermin. I don't care how you do it. I want them all destroyed."

"Is that all?" She asked, her glossy red eyes looking up to him. "I thought you had a challenge for me."

A small smirk came over his face. "Hm.. Do not be so sure of yourself, Kagura. You are out of practice."

"Well, I have you to thank for that." She said, wishing she had more restraint.

The smirk on his face melted and he stepped forward, bringing his fingers to her lips. He traced her lip with his thumb, the rouge spreading to his hand.

"You spit venom like a snake in the grass. Go on, little viper, bite."

Kagura flinched, leaning away from him. The smirk had returned to Naraku's face and he stood straight, taking his hand back. "Wise girl. You know better… Now go."

….

It was as if a rush of pure energy found its way into her as she stepped outside the castle door. Each step she took gave her more energy. Her complexion began to change. Her sickly look was beginning to fade as the wind circled around her body, as if it was filling her up with something she had been deprived of. She took a deep breath in, letting herself enjoy this moment.

" _The world lies just beyond this place, although I am doomed to return. Such a cruel reality after all this time."_

She reached into her hair to pull out the feather that was wedged in. She threw it up in the air, a smile making its way across her face. She was starting to feel like herself again. The feather grew in size and she took a great leap into it. Kagura watched as the sun set as she glided through the sky.

" _I want to see many more of these." She thought. "And so I must play by Naraku's rules."_

Not too long after, she heard a hearty scream coming from the woods below her. She figured she had found her target, and jumped off of the feather, barreling down to the ground below. She slowed as she came closer to the ground, and landed softly. The feather came down not too soon after, again in the right size to tuck away in her hair. Another scream ran through her ears and she followed it. She could see a fire in the distance, and made her way toward it.

She hid herself behind a tree, and looked to the commotion. There were five rat demons, and all of them were larger than her. They were hairy and ugly, with horrible rat noses and scaly tails. There were two small children being grabbed up by one of them, crying pitifully. But these children were not typical, they both had bushy red tails, which led Kagura to believe they were young fox demons. The rat demons laughed at their plight.

"I'm hungry." The largest rat demon announced, grabbing a large stone. "Let's get this over with."

The children tried to free themselves desperately as he carried the rock over.

" _Is he really going to bludgeon those children to death?" Kagura thought. Then she thought of how hypocritical she was to be disturbed by it. But nonetheless, she was supposed to kill the rat demons. If she helped out a couple fox children in the process, that would be fine by her._

But when she moved to confront them, a woman leapt into the scene. The woman was like a blur, she kicked the rat demon away, making him trip over his own feet, the rock falling onto him. She had a rope in her hands, and she swung it around the neck of the rat demon who had the children. Leaping onto his back in one swift movement, she tugged on the rope, choking him. Instinctively, he dropped the little ones and they scrambled away from him.

"Zara!" One of the children called.

"Go! Get out of here!" The woman shouted, still pulling on the rope. "Now!"

Kagura watched as the children ran away with haste, avoiding the rat demons who tried to catch them as they took off. They soon gave up and turned their attention to the woman who had just let their dinner go. The rat demon being choked lunged forward and she fell off of him. She gave him a powerful kick and he was floored. But she hadn't noticed the demon who had picked up the rock and was heading for her. He struck her head with the rock and she fell. Kagura looked at the still woman, and saw that she too was a fox demon. She had given her own life to protect the children.

She came forward, surveying the crowd of rat demons, who were collecting themselves after the scuffle. They all looked up to her, and became silent. The largest one's eyes boggled.

"Woman. Who might you be?" He called out.

"A very interested party." Kagura said, approaching the group. "That was quite the display."

"So you had not come to rescue those creatures?" He asked.

"No.. I have come to see who has caused such a ruckus. I am Kagura, and you are?" She said, a smile crawling across her face. Whipping her fan open, she brought it up to her face, her eyes focusing on the obvious leader.

The largest rat demon smirked at her flirtatious demeanor. He let his eyes run up and down her figure. "Attractive and forward. I like you. I am Guro, leader of this tribe."

"I could tell." She said, fanning herself as the other rat demons looked at her suspiciously.

Guro shook his head. "You flatter me. A man likes to be treated this way. I am tempted to claim you for myself.."

Kagura felt as if she could laugh, but she did not. "Claim me? My my, you are the romantic type."

He began to approach her, and the closer he got the more disgusted she was by his appearance. She sighed as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "I can be romantic if you wish."

"Of course you could." She said before violently shoving her fan straight through his head and ripping it back out. He collapsed at her feet and she looke down at his body in disgust. "But I don't want you to."

The other rat demons panicked. "She's killed Guro! Get her!"

Blood painted her fan as she held it out to her side. "My master has sentenced all of you to death. You thought you could retrieve the jewel. Fools. All of you."

She watched as they all charged her, and lifted her fan, quickly swiping it in their direction. The wind picked up in circles, and small blades were formed. The rat demons felt the force of several tiny blades run through their bodies, as they fell to their demise. When the last one ceased to move, she smirked.

"That was too easy. Naraku doubted me. Perhaps I will bring back a trophy and see what he says now."

She walked through the dead crowd, looking over the bodies of the dead rat demons. They were all too ugly and smelly to bring back with her. Thats when she saw the body of the woman, the fox demon who had saved the children. Her chest was rising and falling.

"She's not dead." Kagura said aloud, kneeling by her body. "She's breathing.."

Getting a closer look at her, Kagura concluded that the woman was young. Her long red hair flowed down to her waist. Her clothing was short and practical. Her head had bled a good amount, but that did not mean she would die here. She could lie here and suffer to the end or she could, with some help, recover.

Kagura sat there, wondering whether or not she should end the fox's suffering.

She had to make a decision soon. She looked into the fire nearby, and sighed.

Kagura didn't know where this decision would lead her, but she had made up her mind.


	4. Naraku's Longing

(Chapter 4 is here! My apologies for taking so long. The person I've been with for the past five years called it quits and I had to move and stuff. Add on the depression and the feelings of inadequacy to that, ends up in a writing block. You get it. Thanks for reading. You guys are great.)

Chapter 4: Naraku's Longing

 _I don't think I can stand it anymore. I have worked time and again to find a way to separate myself from this miserable human heart, but I am not yet powerful enough to do so. It calls to me incessantly, broken and lost. It begs for Kikyo, the priestess that Onigumo fell for many years ago. Before she was resurrected, I was the one in control. She was dead and there was nothing left to keep his pathetic heart from letting me do as I pleased. But then that accursed woman sprung back into existence, once again awakening the heart of Onigumo. He has not been silent since._

"It has been a while since Kagura left to exterminate the rat demons. Hopefully, I have not made a mistake by giving her a second chance." Naraku turned to Kanna, who was kneeling next to him, looking idly into her mirror.

"Kagura is close." Kanna said quietly before turning her head to Naraku.

He stared into the large empty orbs of Kanna. Naraku did not believe for a moment that his first creation would lie about anything, even if it was to protect Kagura. Kanna had shown him nothing but unwavering obedience. Therefore, testing her had become somewhat of a sick pleasure for him. Knowing she would do whatever he said was almost a challenge to see how far he could take her.

Naraku reached down to grab up one of the lit candles he had in the room. "Kanna, come here."

She stood and walked closer to him, waiting for her next orders. He showed her the white candle. The flame danced around, reflecting in her eyes. "Place your hand over this flame and do not move it."

Kanna slowly lifted her hand and stretched it out, letting her palm sit in the heart of the flame. He watched her expression, curious as to whether or not it would change. Perhaps she would cry out, and take her hand back. But she did no such thing. Her big empty eyes stared into the assaulting flame as she kept her hand over it.

"Do you really feel no pain? Or do you just hide it from me?" Naraku queried, taking the flame away from her hand. The skin of her hand had become black and charred. But it quickly started to heal itself back to its usual white tone. She looked up at him.

"What is pain?" Kanna asked.

"A man burned to a crisp and immobile, at the mercy of an arrogant woman." Naraku scowled, tapping his finger on the floor. Because Onigumo was a part of him, all of his memories of the horrible wounds and his mental despair lived in Naraku's head.

It was then that Kagura made her entrance. Naraku's hair blew around as she came through the door and then fell when it was closed.

"Master Naraku, It is done." Kagura stated.

Naraku looked up to her and saw that she had regained some of her color. The outside air had regenerated her healthy glow. Her cheeks were no longer sunken in, and her frail stature had begun to take a more full look. "I assume they didn't give you much trouble."

"It was so easy, I almost feel bad about it." Her rouge lips curled into a smile. "But I did bring a little something back with me. For you."

She stepped off to the side and revealed the unconscious body of the young fox demoness. Naraku glared at it from a distance for a few moments. He noticed how she had been struck with something big on her head, and was hanging on to life by a thread. He then looked to Kagura.

"What should I want a half-dead fox demon for?"

"If you save her, she will be in debt to you. She is a fighter, and does not bear your scent as Kanna and I do. Therefore she will make a great set of eyes for you." Kagura explained.

"A spy.. Hm.. Perhaps you are not as simple as I thought." Naraku said as he stood. He brushed Kagura aside and looked down at the long red hair of the fox girl. Leaning down, he picked her body up into his arms, carrying her gently. "And, pray tell, what do you have to gain from me saving this woman?"

"Come, now, I thought you would be happy with me." She brought her fan to her lips. "But there really is no pleasing you."

Naraku looked down to the limp body in his arms, studying the wound on her forehead. It was already trying to heal, but she needed help. "Leave me to my work."

Kanna was gone the moment he said the words. She simply faded away, unnoticed. Naraku carried the fox demoness into the light, running his fingers over her head. Kagura watched him for a moment. If there was anything that was admirable about him, it was his ability to bring things to life. Of course, this man caused a lot more death than life so the skill went unmerited. Her eyes watched as he laid the body down gently in the candlelight.

"If there is nothing more to say, then I suggest you leave." He said, not turning to look at her.

"Of course.." She whispered, turning to slide the door open. She looked back to them before closing it behind her.

….

 _Sesshomaru found himself at the gate of a dark castle. He looked down around his feet where miasma was surrounding his feet like fog on the ground._

" _Naraku." He murmured, before advancing into the estate._

 _He slid open the main doors and found himself in a long hallway. It didn't seem to have an end. But he was determined to find Naraku, and pushed forward. After several minutes, he paused, taking in his surroundings. He heard a voice speaking to him, but he couldn't tell where precisely the voice was coming from._

" _The war hero. He will come to find that not all battles are won through physical strength alone. Or perhaps he will learn that not all battles can be won." He recognized the voice as that of Naraku's._

" _Where are you? Come out and face me." Sesshomaru demanded._

 _Just then, a door appeared on the floor of the castle. It opened on its own, calling him inside. "You cannot win this, Sesshomaru."_

 _He leapt through the door, landing on his feet at the bottom of what looked like a cellar. He turned to the left, scanning the area slowly to his right. That's when his eyes landed on something that made his face wrinkle in anger. There was a prison down here, complete with bars. Behind the bars there was a woman facing away, sitting on the ground. He looked at her clothes and knew right away who it was._

" _Kagura.." he said, approaching her from behind slowly._

" _Don't.." He could hear her whisper. "Stop."_

 _He stopped in his tracks, looking around at the miasma crawling up the walls. "What is this place?"_

" _You have to leave. You have to get out of here."_

" _I will do no such thing. I will destroy Naraku this day. But first, I will free you from this prison."_

 _Kagura stood and turned to him, looking him in the eyes as he grabbed the bars with his hand. The bar began to bend. A sound of pain escaped Kagura's lips and she fell to the ground. His assault on the bars seemed to be directly correlated to her pain. He released them and took a step back, looking down at Kagura as she wearily pulled herself up._

" _Sesshomaru.." She reached out for him with one arm, and grabbed onto his waist, pulling him towards her. For a moment, it felt as if there were no bars between them. He let his hand through the opening to find her face, and they stood like this for a few moments._

 _The bright red orbs in her eyes focused on Sesshomaru intently, but then traveled behind him. Her face became filled with what could be described as fright. He released Kagura, turning to see what was behind him. There was nothing behind him but a cloud of miasma. When he went to turn back, his eyes grew wide with surprise. Kagura was no longer in the cell, in her place was her fan._

" _Tsk tsk, Sesshomaru. I thought you were a man of nobility and honor."_

 _Sesshomaru snapped his head to his side to see none other than Naraku, leaning ever so nonchalantly against the stone wall. "To show such interest in a woman who belongs to another. You betray your great lineage." Naraku said, his eyebrows lifting in amusement._

" _I will kill you for your arrogance." Sesshomaru shouted as he lunged for Naraku, putting his fist right through his opponents body._

 _But when Naraku's amused face deepened, he knew that he had done no damage. His hand was merely slipping past the demon's insides as they moved aside, making room._

 _Naraku smiled as he looked straight at Sesshomaru. "You can't win this."_

Sesshomaru's eyes opened, scanning the area before him. The dream had been so vivid, he could still smell the miasma rising into his nostrils. There was a dark feeling that the image of Naraku had left behind, and he wondered again whether or not Kagura was still alive. He still held so much desire for her, and wanted to feel her smooth pale skin against his own once again. He became aroused with the thought of taking his pleasure with Kagura.

The dog demon was becoming very skeptical of his choices as of late. The fact he could feel so strongly about a female disturbed him. Especially one that is tied to one of his enemies. Any other man would have walked away, and never thought about her again. But he couldn't help himself. He wanted her. He stayed still for several moments, waiting for the arousal under his robes to subside.

Sesshomaru stood and looked to the sky. He knew there was one person he could seek out that would know what to do.

"Jaken.. I am going to pay a visit with the Lady of the West. You will watch over things here." He said, rousing the little toad from his rest.

"Your mother, my Lord? I dare say, it's been a while since you've seen her. She is going to be cross." He said rubbing his eyes.

"That is none of your concern. I am the one who will deal with her." He snapped.

"Of course, my Lord." Jaken squeaked. "I do hope on your safe return."

" _Also a quick one.."_ He thought as he watched Sesshomaru walked over to Rin, who was asleep on Ah Un's back. He looked at her for a few moments before trailing away and out of sight. _"I can't handle this little human by myself."_

.…

The night was quiet and serene. Kagura looked at the moon, and then to the dead grass that surrounded her. Nothing lived here in this courtyard, except for her and the others. But it didn't matter to her. After having been inside the castle for so long, she enjoyed being able to walk out into the light of the evening again. It almost felt as if she had acquired the freedom she so desired. But then she looked to the large walls that surrounded the courtyard and it reminded her again of her limits. This was not freedom.

It had been a while since she had seen her knight in shining armor, and was growing skeptical of his promise to come for her.

" _Naraku is right.." The thought crept into her mind. "Sesshomaru took me for a fool.. He isn't coming.."_

Kagura sat down on her knees, taking a deep breath. She cursed herself for letting him get the best of her. A tear made it's way down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away with her finger. She shook her head, angry at herself for becoming emotional. This was something she could not afford to dwell on.

" _I cannot want for him anymore. He is so far away from me now."She thought, letting her hands slide down to her hips. Kagura remembered Sesshomaru's strong hand grabbing at her waist._

A blush was coming over her face as she replayed in her mind the night they had spent together. Her body burned with desire. Kagura slipped her hand into the top of her kimono and cupped her breast in her hand. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, imagining his hand groping at her lustfully. Lost in the moment, she squeezed herself, moaning lightly.

Kagura opened her eyes, and her face dropped. She quickly pulled her hand from inside her kimono and put it to her side. She let her eyes meet the ground for a moment but then looked back up. Naraku stood there, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the night. They were concentrated on her, but his face was expressionless. Kagura let her eyes meet his, and a feeling of guilt ran down her spine. She did not want him to see her act this way.

But he had. And now there was no telling how he would react. Kagura rose to her feet, and placed her hands in front of her. "Master Naraku, I did not know you were here."

" _It is happening again.. this feeling. Damn you, Onigumo." Naraku thought, looking at Kagura. He had been blindsided when he found her fondling herself. It stirred something within him that couldn't be stopped._

When he responded only by continuing his stare, she became nervous. "I will leave you to yourself."

She began to walk past him when she felt his hand grasp her wrist, pulling her gently towards him. Her eyes widened as his face became close.

"I had come to tell you that your vixen is going to live..but I see that is the last thing on your mind." His large hand reached up to her neck, and he traced it with his fingers down to the top of her kimono. When he slipped one of his fingers down into it, she pulled away from him.

"Don't.." Kagura whispered.

Naraku became irate and violently yanked her kimono down with his hand, exposing her breast. He watched as she defensively threw her arms over her chest.

"You will refuse me, then?" He growled, allowing her the chance to become agreeable.

Kagura's body was radiating with heat. She was angry but silent. Naraku had never tried to to touch her like that before, and it was enraging to her that he wanted to. Her whole body shook as she tried to collect herself. She pulled her kimono back over her chest and looked away. "No.."

"A wise decision, I gave you this life, this body.." He said, looking her up and down.

Naraku was driven by her prudishness. It made him angry that she was not being receptive to his advances. It made him even angrier that he was giving in to Onigumo and his desires. But he thought perhaps by taking his pleasure with Kagura, the wild heart within him would relax and leave him to his work. He turned slowly and walked back inside the castle, leaving a trail of miasma in his path.

Kagura embraced herself as she looked up to make sure he was gone. When she saw that he was, she brought her hands up to her face. A rage was dormant in her, and she needed to release it.

"Damn him!" She said aloud. "And damn this accursed existence. I don't want it anymore."

"Kagura.." A little voice chimed in.

Kagura turned to see Kanna standing there, holding her mirror close to her. "What do you want, Kanna?" She shouted angrily.

"Don't forget, Kagura. Your life is not yours. It is in his hands. He expects you to go to him, and so you must."

Kagura's face twisted in anger. She was so angry with Naraku for wanting her, and at Kanna for reminding her of her own helplessness. Taking a step forward, she backhanded the ghostly girl. To her surprise, Kanna merely turned her head to the side and then looked back up at her with no expression. It obviously had not hurt her, but she had not been expecting it either or else she would have defended herself. Kagura took a few steps back, feeling sudden guilt for lashing out.

"Forgive me, Kanna. But you must understand… When I win my freedom, you will also have yours.. You will see then why it is so important to me.."

When the girl responded only by staring at her, she crumbled. "I cannot do this… I cannot go to him now.."

"We do what we must to maintain this life. You say you wish it to end.. but it isn't true." Kanna said, looking to the sky and then to Kagura.

Kagura put her hand over the place where her heart would be. "Kanna.. my only friend. You are right. I must do what I can to stay alive. But one day we will be free of our binds and you will know what it is to walk your own path. I promise you this."

Kanna looked down into the mirror in her arms. "You must not speak of such things."

Kagura nodded, understanding that Kanna valued her existence just as much as she did, if not more. Kanna watched as she headed back to the large doors that led to the inside. Kagura's eyes met hers once again before they disappeared inside.

Once inside, she took a deep breath. There was an eerie silence about the castle, and she could hear even the light taps of her own feet on the floor. The walls were closing in around her as she slowly made her way to the room where she would find Naraku. Standing outside the door, she considered running away and enjoying the last few moments of her life before it's end. But that was not an option. She needed to live. For herself and for Kanna.

She heard small breaths as she slid the door open. Laying on a futon on the floor was the fox demoness, with her head bandaged up. She was very alive, but had not risen from her unconscious state. Kagura looked at her for several moments, forgetting her own troubles. Who was this woman? And why had she decided to take her back here? It was not normal of her to spare a life. Normally, she would have killed any suffering creature she came across. But this one had been different. She had risked her life to save the two children from being eaten. It was admirable, and Kagura felt as if this creature deserved life. Of course she hadn't thought it through as now this woman would also become a tool of Naraku's whether or not she was aware of it. Kagura regretted her decision all too late.

"She will live.. but the blow to her head must have destroyed her memory. But rest assured, those can be replaced." Naraku's voice reached her ears. When she looked up, she could see him also looking down at the fox demoness.

"You can replace her memories.. but what will you replace them with? What memories could you possibly have to give her?"

"I can make her think anything I wish." He said, putting his hand on the unconscious woman's head.

There was a short silence that followed. Kagura looked up to Naraku and then back down to the fox demoness. "And what about me?"

Naraku's eyebrows wrinkled. "What about you?"

"Could you make me think anything you want?" She asked, afraid of the answer. Looking up, Kagura caught his gaze. She could not decide if he was disturbed about the question or unsure about the answer. He stood, turning away from both the unconscious vixen and Kagura. He moved aside the curtain and disappeared behind it. Kagura was not sure whether or not that meant she had displeased him and he wanted her to leave. But it was safer to assume he did not. She rose to her feet and slipped past the curtains to find Naraku facing away from her.

"I ask because you have not. Which must mean you cannot. I know you've heard me curse you, and speak of my desired freedom. If you could change these things about me, you would."

"Why must I demand your affection?" He growled, turning around. The sharpness of his turn almost made Kagura fall back. "You do not appreciate this life that I have bestowed upon you."

Kagura stood perfectly still, closing her eyes. "You would have had my admiration and trust, if you had not betrayed me and put me in a position to be killed-"

"You are an even bigger fool than I thought." He interrupted, before thrusting his hand over where her heart would be. "As long as your heart remains in my possession, you cannot be killed."

Kagura considered what he was saying, and knew that it was true. But it still did not change all of the things that she despised him for. Her voice became deep with emotion. "It doesn't even matter. You are cruel to me and to Kanna. I am just thankful that she is blind to it."

"I could have ended your life after I found you sharing yourself with that pompous dog, and I chose not to. I have been more than benevolent."

"Your benevolence is wasted on me." She retorted.

"Perhaps so.."

Naraku slipped his hand into her kimono, lightly grasping her hip and pulling her into him. Kagura bit her lower lip as he stuck his nose in her neck, breathing in her scent. She felt his hand move from her hip, trailing his fingers to her privates. He could feel the heat coming off of her as he inserted a finger into her folds. She gasped and her hips attempted to back away but he grabbed her thigh with his other hand, keeping her body still. His teeth grazed her neck, making her moan aloud. Her muscles tightened, making it harder for his fingers to explore her. He slipped another one in, and she blushed with frustration.

Though she hated Naraku, his hands were forcing her to become aroused. He pinched the center of her folds and her knees became weak. She sank to the floor, her kimono slipping off her shoulders behind her. She hid her reddened face with her hands.

Naraku looked down at his nude demoness, and felt overwhelmed with desire. He tugged at his robes, and they fell to the floor. Kagura put her hands down and looked up at him. His body was thin but tall, and his muscles were well defined. It was not a bad or unattractive body. His aroused member made her look away.

Kagura took a deep breath and leaned back until she was laying on the floor. She tried her best not to look to Naraku as he began to descend upon her. She could feel his hands feeling and grabbing at her waist and breasts, and she thought she might die. Giving herself to Naraku was a nightmare come true. She did not want to allow herself to enjoy one minute of it. She looked to the wall, and tried to be silent as Naraku took what he wanted.

" _How dare you do this to me.." Naraku's mind took over. "Kikyo.. this is your fault. Damn you."_

Naraku closed his eyes tight and railed into the wind sorceress, pulling a small cry from her lips. The sounds rang in his ears, and he drew her hips in closer to him. He thrusted roughly in between her legs, before letting out a low growl of satisfaction. A woman's flesh was something he had not felt in ages. Onigumo had been a thief and a criminal. Women were not hard to come by for this handsome troublemaker, and so he had become accustom to the feeling of soft skin against his own. Willing or not, he would get what he desired. When his trouble caught up to him and he found himself in a nearly comatose state, the priestess Kikyo came to him. The moment he set eyes on her, he knew he had to have her. But he couldn't. His human body was no longer able to seduce or capture women, especially her. And so he had to lay there helplessly as she mended his wounds. The more she came to him, the deeper his want became. Her death had been the silencing of Onigumo, and the end of Naraku's human desires. When he saw that she had come back from the dead, the pathetic lovesick criminal rose again inside of him.

He opened his eyes and looked down, and saw Kagura's face. Her red eyes focused on the wall to the side, refusing to meet his. Her hair was still pinned up neatly and the rouge on her lips shone brightly. The fact that it was her lying before him and not the one he truly wanted made him stop for a moment. Naraku's hand made it's way down to release her hair. Her waves fell over her face, hiding her finer features. He then pictured the woman in his mind. Brown, sullen eyes over a set of thin, pale lips.

"Kikyo.." He groaned as he continued, much harder than before. "Kikyo.."

Kagura became even more withdrawn as he covered her face and called her by the name of the priestess. She felt sick to her stomach as he became rougher with each push. Soon after, she could feel the heat of his release entering her. She felt comatose lying there, with no real reason or desire to move.

Naraku looked down at Kagura and frowned. He stood up, throwing his robes over his broad shoulders. Looking to the side again, he noticed that she had still not stirred. She looked like a doll just thrown about on the floor. Onigumo's vicious and uncontrollable lust had unfolded onto her body like a storm. He did not feel guilt, but a newfound fear of the power of Onigumo, the human man who's heart controlled his actions. Not wanting any longer to look at the results of his inability to keep him at bay, Naraku walked out of the room, leaving a very still Kagura behind.

..

The Lady of the West ran a tight ship. The halls were polished to perfection, and portraits hung on the wall of great dog demons past and present. Sesshomaru stood before one, gazing into the image of a woman and her child. The woman was richly dressed and her hair pinned up perfectly, and the child was so well kept and adorned it was hard to tell that this was a young boy. He looked just like his mother. His long silver hair fell over a new set of red robes. The mother had her hand modestly wrapped around the shoulder of the little boy. Neither was smiling, but the sense of pride and protection was portrayed well.

"You were very cross with me for making you stand there like that." A feminine voice drifted into his ear. He turned to his side and saw his mother next to him, also admiring the portrait. She grazed her finger over the face of the boy. "And for making you wear that outfit."

Sesshomaru looked again at the portrait and then to her. She had not changed one bit since then. Her hair was still perfect and her skin undamaged from centuries of living. He did not have to wonder why his father had chosen her. She was beautiful. "You could have done better to not make me look as a little girl."

This pulled a chuckle from the lips of the Lady. "Your father used to scold me about that. He used to say he was raising a warrior, not a pampered prince." She turned and stroked Sesshomaru's cheek gently. "Naturally, I did not listen. It's not my fault you inherited my good looks."

"Hn." Sesshomaru was mildly amused by his mother's ways. His father had worked his way to the top, being the most skilled and powerful warrior the West had ever seen. Whereas his mother had always had noble roots and wealth. So his upbringing had always been double sided. His father would toughen him up and make him train hard with little rest whereas his mother would fuss over him and give him everything his heart desired.

The result of this parenting style had been a dangerous combination. Sesshomaru had turned out to be a fearsome creature who was both unmatched in battle and used to getting what he wanted. There was no being alive who could say "no" to him. That was, except the woman who stood next to him. He found himself obligated to be a good son to her, and he did as much as his ego would allow him to.

"It has been way too long, Sesshomaru. I thought you had forgotten about me." She said.

"Your guilt trips may have worked on my old man, but they do not phase me." Sesshomaru replied. "I know you better than you think."

"Well.. now that I have you. How long will you be staying?" The Lady queried, fixing an out of place hair.

"Only long enough to seek your advice." He said, looking into her eyes.

"You will leave me as soon as you get here. What an awful son I have. This will not do." She pouted dramatically. "You will stay the night."

When he tried to object, she dismissively waved him aside and flagged down one of her servants. The girl was young and looked like a human child if not for the black markings around her eyes. She looked to be not much older than his Rin. Her long back hair was braided to the side. She made her way over to the Lady and bowed her head.

"Yes, Mistress?" The little voice asked, not picking her head up.

"Hija, Lord Sesshomaru will be staying for the night. You will see to it that there is a clean, comfortable place for him to rest."

"Yes, my Lady." The girl said, picking up her head. She curiously glanced over to Sesshomaru. He watched as her cheeks turned red and she bowed her head again before taking off.

"Forgive little Hija, she hasn't been here long.." his Mother said. "I don't usually utilize ones as young as that but shes a sharp little thing."

"Mother, will you not listen?" Sesshomaru was annoyed that she was seemingly forcing him to stay the night.

"Tell me what you need, and I will help you. But you will stay the night." She said in a very final tone.

"Have it your way. As always." He growled. She was surely the only creature on the earth that could speak to him that way and get him to do as she pleased.

The Lady looked up to her handsome son, and smiled. "I will arrange for us to dine together. We will speak then."

Sesshomaru nodded, and watched as his Lady mother elegantly strode down the hallway to alert his homecoming to her staff. Sighing, he continued the opposite way. He walked for several moments, passing by the familiar rooms and chambers that he had resided in for many years. This is where he had grown into the person he was. For a child who had everything he wanted, he was never very happy. His feet slowed as he approached a room that was even more familiar to him.

 _Sesshomaru was running away from his caretaker Ima, who was trying to put him to bed. A sweet, softspoken demoness with long brown hair tied back in white ribbons. She was a servant of his mothers, and much too small and kind to care for a hellraiser like him. He could hear her looking for him on the opposite side of the hallway, and was sure he had lost her._

" _Young Lord, please come out. You must go to bed before your Mother returns." He smirked at her foolish attempts to guilt him out of hiding._

 _He heard a grunt close by, and jumped, unaware of what had made the sound. Curiosity took hold of him, and he walked slowly toward the sound. He heard the sound again, as it was getting closer._

" _My Lord.." A female voice moaned._

 _Coming around the corner, he stood at the doorway where the noise was coming from and pulled the blinds aside to find his Father. The Lord was a large demon, with his long silver hair pulled back to showcase his masculine barrel chest. Sesshomaru stared in bewilderment as he watched his Father kiss and grind on a subject of his, a small female demon with thick, red hair. They stayed in this motion for several moments until Sesshomaru was ripped violently into the arms of Ima and whisked away. Out of breath, she strode down the hall._

" _Sesshomaru.. you must not bother the Lord at this hour.." She whispered. "Children aren't meant to see such things."_

" _What was Father doing to that woman?" Young Sesshomaru asked blankly as the woman brought him to his bed._

" _Forget what you have seen, Sesshomaru. It was nothing." She reassured him, covering him with a blanket._

He had never forgotten what he saw. And it would not be the last one he would see. Sneaking around late at night, he would often hear the voices of women hollering and moaning coming from this particular room. The Lord had several mistresses, and his wife ignored it to the best of her ability.

" _I see.. " Sesshomaru could still see the angry look on his mother's face. Sitting across the table from her, the young Lord sat. His caretaker had said that he should forget what he had seen. But since he did not know what he had seen, he brought it up to his mother over dinner. Her expression let him know that it was a mistake to bring it up. "Your fathers business is his own, and you must stay out of it. Why were you up at such an hour wandering the halls?"_

 _Young Sesshomaru sat silently for a moment, not having expected the tables to be turned on him. He could see her staring daggers into him. The Lady wanted an answer._

" _Sesshomaru.. " His mother tapped the table with her sharp fingernail._

" _It wasn't my fault, mother. Ima told me I could stay up if I promised not to tell you." Sesshomaru was usually a brave child, but took any chance he thought he had of getting out of trouble with his mother when she was angry. The disgruntled demoness was angry with her husband, but was unable to punish him for his infidelity. And so, someone would have to pay for his crimes._

" _I see.." His mother folded her hands together before getting up from the table. "You are excused."_

Sesshomaru shook his head, remembering what an awful little brat he had been. He hadn't felt a twinge of guilt having lied on poor Ima, and had even cracked a smile when he heard the inevitable slap of his mothers hand echo throughout the halls.

"My Lord, your room is ready." A voice pulled him out of his own mind. He turned and saw the girl from earlier, with a look of fright on her face. It was clear to him that she was afraid of him. He studied her hard. Her eyes were big compared to the rest of her, of course because she was still little. The black markings on her face he couldn't quite distinguish from other marks he had seen before.

"Hija..You are the result of an impure arrangement, are you not?" His question made her little cheeks turn red.

"Y-yes, Sir. At least that is what my brother says. My mother was a sea nymph. My father, a lightning demon.. How did you know?"

"You wouldn't be here if you hadn't been. Young demons of odd breeding are rejected by their own. They end up captured or in need of a place to be. And so they end up here.. like you."

The girl stared at him, her bottom lip quivering as a tear made its way down her cheek. If he had intended to upset her, he had succeeded.

'Why do you cry, child? I am merely telling the truth."

"My half brother.." She looked to the ground. "He is much older than I am. He did not like that my Father loved me, because he was of pure blood and I was not. My mother was gone as soon as I was born, leaving me to my father's care. He died about a month ago and my brother took over his estate."

Sesshomaru merely watched as Hija told her story, not showing any signs of empathy. He himself had a half brother of impure blood, and had no patience for the boys existence, especially when he got in Sesshomaru's way.

"And so he was rid of me. He brought me here, and used me as a gift to gain trust between your mother and our tribe."

Sesshomaru nodded. "As was his right. A bastard child has no place in their Father's home."

When he looked at the girl, he was reminded of his own little problem, his younger brother. Who should have never been entrusted with their father's most powerful sword. That birthright had been stolen from Sesshomaru, and he held resentment over that fact.

Hija bit her lip hard, trying to stop the tears that inevitably flowed down her face. She wiped them away with her arm, hiding her face. Even though she was a child, it was clear she knew from experience to not let her emotions get the best of her. "Lord Sesshomaru, I have been asked to show you to your room."

"This is my home, girl. I know where it is." He said, brushing her aside. He vanished down the hallway, leaving her behind.

That night at dinner, Sesshomaru listened to his mother talk about recent connections she had made since they had last spoken. He tried his best to be attentive but with so much on his mind, he found himself drifting in and out of the conversation.

"Are you listening to any of this, Sesshomaru? One day, you may choose to take over for me, and on that day you will need to know all you can. This castle and everything in it is as good as yours. But first you must prove to me you are ready for the responsibility."

"Do not lecture me." Sesshomaru growled. "I am already the Lord of this castle. I could take this all from you with or without your permission. Some sons kill their fathers to obtain their inheritance."

"And what about their mothers?" Her smirk let him know that she knew he could never harm her.

"It is truly a curse to be a dutiful son. You shall live as you always have, comfortably, as long as I have anything to do with it." He said blankly.

This made his mother smile. "Such a good son. I will be overjoyed to see that day. Now.. to other matters. What is it that I might help you with?"

Sesshomaru cleared his throat before explaining his situation. "There is a creature I seek. A demon of the strangest sort. I have had trouble locating him. I figure with your connections, we might be able to locate him."

"Why do you seek out this demon, my son? What makes him so special?" She became curious.

"He has insulted me and made an attempt on my life."

"That is a great problem, but I know you. What else does he have?" She leaned on her arm.

Sesshomaru blinked, not wanting to admit the next thing. "He has also a captive. A person of interest."

"It is a woman." His mother finished for him. "What manner of woman is she? And why does she have your interest?"

Sesshomaru noticed now that the servant girl Hija was clearing away some of the food from the table, almost too small to carry anything. She was actively listening to the both of them as they spoke, he could tell. He ignored it, and looked to his mother.

"That is my business.."

"My son has never shown such interest in a woman before." She teased. "But I digress. What of this demon? Might I have a name?"

"He goes by the name Naraku." Sesshomaru said.

The sound of glass crashing to the floor took over the room and both Sesshomaru and his mother looked to their left, where they saw that Hija had dropped a bowl to pieces on the floor. She stood above her mess, frozen in fear.

"You'll pay for that dearly." His mother stared sharply the girl. "Now clean it up."

Sesshomaru watched as the girl looked straight into his eyes and then threw herself onto the floor, picking up the broken shards of glass. Her little fingers cut on the sharp edges, and began to bleed. But she did not make a sound. She picked up the rest of the glass and headed out the door.

"Much too young and clumsy." His mother shook her head. "I would not have accepted one so young, if it hadn't been for the look in the eyes of the man who brought her here. He looked as if he was going to kill that child if I refused to take her."

"A merciful one these days. Mother, you are growing soft."

"Is it I who have become soft? I am aware of the company you keep. The human child.. Alas, I will not pry into your affairs."

Sesshomaru stared at the doorway of the room, ignoring his mothers comments.

"I will alert our allies of this Naraku." His mother changed the conversation.

Sesshomaru nodded to his mother, in a rare display of gratitude. She smiled and leaned over, letting her hand rest over his for a moment before leaning back and looking to the rest of the trays and plates that had not been taken away yet.

"Where is that girl?" She thought aloud before calling in another servant to pick up the rest.

His mother was a creature of nobility and wealth and would never lower herself to doing anything she considered to be housework. She was the Lady of the East, and a strict Mistress. Nothing was out of line or out of place here, and if it was, it'd be dealt with.

None of the servants seemed to know where Hija was, and this made the Lady's eyebrow twitch. She had never been the one for patience, especially when it came to children. Although her face always kept a bored, rather uninterested look like her son, she was quick to become angry. Sesshomaru himself had learned as a child not to test her. Looking to one of her older servants she crossed her arms over her lap and spoke with a low voice. "I can smell her, hiding somewhere in my home like a little mouse. I want you to find her, and when you do, I want you to bring her to me."

"Mistress, I am compelled to ask that you go easy on the girl. She must be terrified." He reasoned with her, his eyes not directly meeting Sesshomaru but it was obvious that he was speaking about the Lord's presence.

"A thrashing is a breath of fresh air compared to what waits for one like her out in this world." The words rolled off her tongue, and caused the room to become silent. The servant left his mother's side, somberly off to go find Hija.

"Children are foolish things." She whispered. "I'd have given your Father many more if I thought I could stand them."

Sesshomaru stood up and made his way over to his agitated mother. She saw him coming in her direction and stood as well. He leaned in, nudging his nose into hers, as canines do to show affection to one another. "Rest. I will take care of this."

"My son.." She couldn't help but crack a small smile. "You look like your father now. How can I say no?"

He released his mother, and headed for the door. When he made his way into the halls, he noticed there were a couple servants, half-heartedly looking for Hija. They were probably hoping not to find her, so they wouldn't have to turn her in. Sesshomaru raised his nose, smelling the air. Slowly he followed the scent of the young girl. It became stronger as he made his way out into his mothers courtyard. There was a pool of crystal clear water in the middle, glistening in the moonlight.

When he approached it, he looked down into it and saw not his own reflection, but a small shadow as if there was something beneath the surface, sitting on the floor. He knew then what his mother meant when she said the child was sharp. For a moment, he looked on as the girl breathed in the water and released it out of her mouth as if it were air. Her ability to breath underwater had allowed her a clever hiding spot. Sesshomaru reached down into the water, gently snatching her up out of the water by the back of her dress, and standing her in front of him. Her hair was loose in wet strands around her frame. Hija's gaze met the ground.

"These little games will not be tolerated here." Sesshomaru said, realizing at that moment how he sounded like his mother.

"Forgive me, my Lord. It was a mistake. I won't do it again." Her small, melodic voice rang in the emptiness of the evening.

"You would be unwise to let it happen again." He said. "I will not be here to quell your Mistress next time."

He noticed a small glimmer of relief come across the childs demeanor as she slowly started to realize that Lord Sesshomaru was not going to cause her harm. Scary as he was, he could not see himself laying a single hand on any child, even to punish them for a misdeed. Not that he had ever had to. Rin looked up to him as one would a god, and hung upon his every word. Maybe it was her human nature, but her obedience was unmatched by any creature that had ever served him before.

"You were listening to me speak tonight." He stated.

He saw her face tighten as she was about to claim she had not been, but she quickly dropped the act and nodded. "Yes…"

"You know something about the creature I seek.." He thought back to that night when he was discussing matters with his mother. The second the name "Naraku" had rolled off his tongue, the girl had seized up, and dropped the bowl in her hands.

"Lord Sesshomaru.." she objected, obviously traumatized by whatever experience she had had.

"I demand to hear what it is you know about Naraku.." He reiterated, not backing down.

"Naraku.." Hija said with distaste. "He killed my father."

(Thanks again for reading. More to come!)


	5. Tragic Past

( Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter took such a long time. I have moved twice in the past few months so that took up a lot of my time and effort.

Im so glad some like my OC's. I like to throw my own characters in because that is when I'm able to get real creative and it's not like characters with full backstories dont arise in the anime/manga anyways so I don't think it's that different.

Thanks for those who are still reading and had reviewed the last chapter and hopefully more to come sooner rather than later!)

Chapter 5: Tragic Past

 _The air was putrid with the smell of burned flesh, but Kikyou did not mind. She wrapped a red, skinless arm in white bandages and did not flinch when the growl of a pained man resounded through the empty walls of the cave. When she was done, she placed the arm down gently to the ground._

" _Will you eat today, Onigumo?" She asked, without emotion._

" _Why do you come everyday, priestess? Why don't you leave me to die?" The man whispered._

" _You say this only because your wounds still hurt. They will heal eventually and then you will wish you hadn't said such things." Kikyou ladled a small amount of food into his mouth, as to not choke him._

" _I have done so many horrible things, Kikyou. And I will only do them again should you allow me to live." He warned._

" _You will not. The world has given you a second chance.. to change and become someone you were not before." She replied._

" _Should I live, I will be a hideous creature for which no one will want to set eyes upon. You do wish this for me, don't you?" He snarled. "Oh, you are very vicious indeed. Maybe moreso than I."_

" _I hold no ill will against you." Kikyou said. "Now be silent and finish your food."_

 _She laded another small amount of food into his mouth, which he begrudgingly swallowed._

" _Kikyou, you enrage me." He thought to himself. "How dare you order me to eat.. to live.. If I shall become well again, you will find yourself at my mercy instead."_

 _He ate a little more and turned his head slightly to get a better look at the priestess._

" _You are eager to move." Kikyou said, smiling. "It seems that I am not the only one who wishes for you to have a full recovery."_

 _This was the first time Onigumo had had a good look at the woman who had been nursing him back to health. Her long, black hair was tied back neatly and she had a little dirt on her face from being on the floor with him. Her eyes were small and brown, and her lips were nothing but thin little pink petals. But he was taken terribly by her beauty, both inside and out. She was a representation of everything good in the world, and he found he would love nothing more than to take her for himself._

 _When she stood up, reality set in. She was going to be leaving him now. Onigumo was not ready for her to go._

" _Goodbye, Onigumo. I'll be back again this evening." She said, picking up her things and heading out into the light._

 _Onigumo, now completely alone, let his mind wander. He thought about Kikyou obsessively, wondering what it would be like to have her. To grab her by her long black locks and force himself deep inside of her while she begged him for mercy. He wished for his able body back with all his might. But it did not help him get better any faster. And so he would have to wait patiently, alone in the cave until that day came._

 _But the day never came. Onigumo would stay in that cave day after day, his health wavering constantly. He watched as the woman he became enamored with came less and less often, opting instead to have her sister, a mere child, come and tend to his wounds. He scared the child, saying horrid things in an attempt to get her to refuse to come back, and it worked. But when Kikyou arrived to see him, he heard the voice of another outside of the cave._

" _I don't think you should join me for this one." He heard her voice bounce off the walls._

" _Oh it can't be that bad. I have a strong stomach. I'm sure I've seen worse." A man's voice replied._

" _Inuyasha.." Kikyou said firmly. "It's not that I don't think you'll be able to handle his appearance. He is a refugee. A former criminal and someone I don't believe you would be able to handle."_

" _You mean you think he'll say something that will upset me and I.."_

" _Yes.. that is what I mean." Kikyou confirmed. "Patience is not a strong suit of yours."_

 _Onigumo turned his head to the right and saw the shadows of Kikyou and the Inuyasha character she was associating with. He watched as the man wrapped his arm around Kikyou and pulled her into him. "Just something you'll have to live with I guess." Inuyasha joked._

 _The criminals icy heart turned green. He could not stand the sight of his Kikyou being held in the arms of another man. He watched with dismay as they embraced and Inuyasha walked away, leaving her to her task._

" _Inuyasha.." He snarled to himself._

…

Kagura woke up, not knowing what day it was. But something told her that it had been a while. There was a small fog of miasma crawling through the openings of the door, but that was not abnormal here. She saw that there were a few things set out for her to find. A washing basin, her jewels, and her rouge.

" _Kanna must have slipped in here and arranged these things for me. I wonder why it is so important that I look presentable." She thought, washing herself off. "I hope he is not planning another night like.."_

Waving off the memory of the night with Naraku, she washed up and applied the rouge, red as blood, on to her lips. Punching her jade pearls into her ears, she listened to hear if she could hear anybody milling about the castle. But she heard nothing. She pulled up a small broken piece of a mirror to see her reflection, and decided she would not be putting her hair up. Her black curls hung loose around her neck.

Exiting the room, she quietly made her way into the hall. Curious about what she missed, she slid through the castle, listening in to see if she could hear any voices. She got to a part of the castle that was not as dark or foggy as the rest of it, and wondered why this was.

"Oh, I think I might fall." She heard a female voice coming from one of the rooms.

Quickly, she made her way over to the door that the voice had come from, and stealthily opened the door a notch so she could see in.

"I won't allow you to fall. Just walk in a straight line." She heard Naraku's voice. But it was different. It was not an angry or dark voice. It sounded like someone who was upbeat. Looking into the room she could see Naraku, standing up and holding onto someone else.

The person in his arms was the fox demoness, with her bandage still around her head. Her red locks stuck out of the bandages, almost covering her green eyes. She smiled brightly as he held onto her as she walked a straight line. When she had gotten to the other end of the room, she let out a sigh of relief.

"You did it." He said in a congratulatory way, handing her a crude walking stick before letting her stand on her own.

"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for you." The woman answered, a smile across her face.

"Kagura, please come in. You must introduce yourself." Naraku said, turning to the door."Don't be shy."

The politeness and almost gleeful manner he presented himself scared Kagura half to death. This was not what she was used to seeing from him. She quietly made her entrance, making a polite nod to the vixen.

"This is Kagura. She is a beloved subject of mine." He said, turning his head to look at her. Kagura was silent as she tried to read his eyes. She could tell the Naraku she knew was hiding in there somewhere. There was a darkness radiating from.

" _He is pretending.." Kagura thought. "What a clever facade."_

"And this is Hitori." Naraku motioned to the woman.

The girl took a couple steps forward, using her walking stick for balance. "It's nice to meet you."

"I hope you are making a speedy recovery here." Kagura said, nodding. "That was quite the hit you took to the head."

"Oh, yes." The woman smiled at Kagura. "I have Lord Naraku to thank for that. You are so lucky to have a leader like him. So kind and compassionate."

"Hitori, you flatter me too much. Surely, I am doing what anyone would do." He played the part like a true professional.

"No.." Hitori shook her head, looking to Naraku. "When that dog demon attacked me and left me for dead, it might have been the end. But you saved me. I am forever in your debt."

Kagura's face dropped, and she turned to look at Naraku, who looked very proud of himself. He looked back at her in a way that said, _"Don't you dare say a thing."_

"And once I have fully recovered, I will do my best to pay back your kindness." The demoness finished.

"Your recovery is all I wish to see." Naraku said tenderly. "I must go attend to some business now. You will be alright?"

"Yes, Lord Naraku." The woman nodded. "Thank you again."

He smiled, tapping her small nose with his finger affectionately before walking through the door.

"Would you care to join me outside?" Hitori asked Kagura.

Kagura looked to her again and nodded.

"Tell me more about Lord Naraku." The vixen seemed obsessed with him as they made their way out the door and to a small, misleadingly bright courtyard.

" _Of course she is.. She thinks he saved her." Kagura thought. "She also thinks her name is Hitori."_

"I don't often like to speak of him unless he is present." Kagura lied. That was the only time she talked about him. She could have just said that he was a very nice, congenial man but then she might vomit at her own lies.

"Fair enough." Hitori said, slowly making her way forward with her walking stick. "What is exactly that you do, Kagura? If it is not impolite for me to ask."

Kagura took a few moments to think. She certainly couldn't tell her that she was an assassin of Naraku, and she couldn't tell her that she was not a subject, but a slave under his control. "I travel for him...mostly."

"Oh.." Hitori seemed to let the subject go out of boredom. "I must confess, I am a little weary. Perhaps I better sit."

Kagura assisted Hitori onto the grass.

"Thank you. I really did take a hit to the head. Forgive me, as this might sound strange. But I remember very little of my life before I ended up here. I do remember having friends and family but when I sit down and try to remember them.. I can't see their faces.. or remember their names."

" _Your memories are not yours.." Kagura thought. "They are made up.."_

"Well, maybe someday it might come to you." Was all Kagura said in return. "Until then, just concentrate on getting better."

"Yes, I should. You're right." Hitori shook her head.

"I have something I must do." Kagura said.

"I think I'll stay out here a little longer." Hitori nodded to Kagura.

"Very well." Kagura turned and made her way upstairs and to the door. She slid it open, looking once more to the woman before stepping in and shutting it closed.

She took a deep breath before proceeding into the hallway, and down to the other side of the castle, where there wasn't an artificial sense of delight. When she found herself nearing Naraku's door, she put her hand on the door. She wanted to stop herself from going inside, but she slid the door open and walked in.

Naraku was facing away from her, concentrating on the mirror that Kanna was holding up for him to see. "Are you going to make a habit of barging in?"

"A dog demon?" She was clearly upset about what he had told her. "I don't know what you have planned but this is sick."

"This is what you wanted, Kagura." Naraku smirked. "You were the one who brought her to me."

"The way you were acting.."

Naraku waved Kanna away and turned to Kagura. The pale girl walked out of the room without any hesitation, not even looking to Kagura. He took a step closer. "You have been asleep for four days, Kagura."

" _Four days.. How could I have missed so much time?" She wondered._

She looked to the ground, avoiding his gaze. "Forgive me, I was not feeling well."

"Do not let it happen again." Naraku said, running his finger down her neckline, and then twirling one of her curls in his hand, to make her feel uncomfortable.

She looked up to him. "If only you could be kind as the man you are pretending to be, others would not hate you so."

"Oh, but Kagura.. I am not that man. Has he already charmed you into believing he exists inside of me? Surely you are not that daft.."

"No,." Kagura choked out. "It was merely a thought."

"Thinking does not suit you. I have said this before." Naraku said, pressing her temple roughly with his index and middle finger. "I will think for you. All you must do is what you are told."

"Yes, Master Naraku.." She stood there, allowing him to creep into her mind. She almost believed it herself for a moment, that she was not worthy of thoughts. But there was something in the back of her mind, something that said " **no** ".

"Good." He said, "You will not tell the vixen what really happened the day you found her. You will only speak highly of me in her presence. I am planning to utilize her against my enemies. She is quite the intriguing little thing- she should make a fine set of eyes. Do not interfere with this."

Kagura nodded.

"I want you to get the boy. I have use for him."

"The human boy again? I don't see how you allow him to run about when he carries something so valuable in his body."

"I still have use for him. When the time comes, you will retrieve the jewel from his body and allow him to die. But until I say so- he lives."

"Yes, sir." Kagura nodded before exiting the room.

She walked by Kanna on her way out, but didn't say anything. Her silence said enough. There was an energy that could be seen around her. Kagura was not going to give up just yet. Naraku took her body for himself, but he couldn't take her mind. She craved her freedom now more than ever. To be able to choose when she could leave, and where she could go. And who she could desire. She thought again of Sesshomaru as she slid the doors to the outside open. She felt like she had been waiting so long, there was no way that he was coming. Or maybe he really was out there- and Naraku had hidden her away well enough that he simply couldn't find her. But she knew one thing for sure- she was going to have to start making moves to get herself out of the situation.

Walking out into the woods- she thought about all the hands that traveled within the castle walls and she held her head. Visions of Naraku pushing his way inside of her clouded her mind.

" _I won't let you win, Naraku." She thought. "I'm going to destroy you one day..and I am going to enjoy every last second of it."_

…

Sesshomaru looked over the balcony of his Mother's palace. He had spent a very restless night here, after hearing about a misdeed of Naraku's.

 _The leader of the Northern Lightning Tribe was a large man, with a long braid and a barrel chest. On his face he wore a beard and on his forehead the symbol of his kind. Twice a year, since his daughter was born, he would go to the ocean and beg for the return of his child's mother._

 _Almost 9 years earlier, she had been an eager sea nymph, ready to explore a world outside of her domain. The first few steps she took on land were wobbly and crooked. When she lifted her head, she saw him, the lightning demon in all of his fancy armor and his grand stature._

" _Who are you, strange woman?" He pointed his silver spear, not quite certain how to react to a naked woman who had seemed to come out of thin air._

" _Who are you, strange woman?" She repeated back to him._

 _She took a few more steps, finding a semi-graceful stride with her newfound land legs._

" _I do not fancy being mocked." He said. "Tell me who you are or I will strike."_

 _Brushing her hair behind her ear, she took another step toward him. Her eyes were a striking ocean blue, and her skin was pink. The beauty of the woman made him put away his weapon. It was becoming clear to him that she did not understand what he said. She smiled at him and he chuckled at himself for thinking she could possibly be dangerous._

" _You look so confused.. come with me. I will see to it that you are clothed and have something to eat." He stated, knowing she would not understand him. He motioned for her to come to him and she seemed hesitant at first but then took a couple steps toward him, tripping over her own legs and falling. Quickly he found himself at her side, scooping her up into his arms. "Here.. I'll take you."_

" _I'll take you." She repeated back to him, making him laugh._

" _What an odd creature.." He said to himself._

 _Upon bringing her back to back to his estate, his adult son and his subjects were not very happy to see her. She was different from them, so most of them ignored her. But their Leader did not. Pretty soon he had her speaking words instead of repeating them. He treated her to the finest silk robes, which she didn't like at first. She would pull at her clothes until they fell to her feet, making anyone around blush in embarrassment. Not him though. He would laugh it off to her free spirit. Within a couple weeks, he found that he had fallen in love with his otherworldly guest. They made love and she soon became large with child. It did not take very long, due to the speed of her kinds reproductive cycle. A couple months later, she gave birth to a little girl and the Leader of the Northern Lightning Demon tribe was very happy._

 _But soon after, he noticed that his lover had become pale, and sickly. Her skin looked thin and was becoming scaly. One day, she took him by the hand and led him to the very spot where they met._

" _I.." She said, motioning to herself and then pointed to the sea. "Home."_

" _No.." He argued, his eyebrows wrinkling. "That's preposterous. Your home is with me and our child."_

 _She shook her head, fighting tears herself. She knew that it was time to go back to the sea, or she would die of the illness that had taken her. This, of course, would mean giving up her new family._

" _I won't let you go." He said, grabbing onto her arm. "You can't leave me all alone."_

" _Not alone." She said, shaking her head. "Not alone."_

 _The lightning demon began to cry softly, knowing that she would never get better if he forced her to return with him. She would wither away and die. At least in the ocean there was a small chance she might return to him. And so he loosened his grip on her. She leaned into him, letting their lips touch before she walked into the water, which seemed to rejuvenate her at the very touch. She took one last look back at him before disappearing under the waves._

 _Ever since then, he had come here to plead for her back. But that was many years ago now, and he was starting to believe that her return would never happen._

" _Great Sea, please bring her back to me." He uttered, knowing his words had never yielded any results before. He buried his face in his hands, hopeless._

 _The sound of waves continued, but then the sound of uneven footsteps joined them. Alarmed, he opened his eyes to see the woman he had been asking for. She was walking towards him with her arms open, her hair messily strung over her face. He couldn't believe it- but he had no other choice but to. He opened his arms as she fell into them, and held her close._

" _I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered, overwhelmed with emotions._

 _She did not speak back, but reached her hand to where his sword was silently. He moved her hair aside to look into her face, and gasped. Instead of his lovers blue eyes, he saw red orbs looking mischievously at him. He tried to shove whatever she was away, but she had already succeeded in shoving his weapon into his back deeply._

 _Backing away, the creature watched him as he began to become weak, falling on the sand. The middle of her body began to open, like a big black hole._

" _I'm glad I was able to catch you in a weakened state, or I might have had trouble subduing you. I must say, I am disappointed with how easy this was." A male voice erupted from the woman as tentacles came bursting out from the blackness, grabbing onto him and pulling him in._

 _He struggled as best he could, but he had been struck hard. Slowly but surely, he was dragged closer and closer to the mysterious and vicious shapeshifter. When he was close enough to look into the eyes of the creature again, he cursed it. "Who the hell are you?"_

 _The creature began to take the form of a man, and the black hole got bigger, adjusting to the size of its prey. "You will not need to know my name soon. But I will let it be the last thing you hear… Naraku."_

 _And just like that, he was gone and the black hole closed behind him. Naraku heard the sounds of a small cry coming from nearby. He followed the sounds behind a rock where he found a little girl, her likeness to the lightning demon left no room for debate. This was his child, who had been spying on him. She screamed when she saw Naraku, curling herself up into a ball. He grinned at her fright._

" _You, little one, will live. Go back to your village. Tell them what you saw." Naraku stated. He watched as the girl, who was still sobbing relentlessly ran away from him and out of sight._

Sesshomaru stood up, somewhat clear of where he was going to go next. When he saw the girl Hija walking up the hall silently, with some linens in her arms, a thought occurred to him.

"Hija.." He called for her. He watched her little braid swing as she approached him. "You will tell me where it is I might find your old home. I wish to speak to someone older and more experienced to confirm your story and ask what they know."

"I haven't lied, Lord Sesshomaru." The girl shook her head.

"I haven't accused you of lying." He stated. "I merely wish to seek out the Leader and ask him a few questions."

"Oh.." Hija said, looking away uncomfortably.

"Well.."

"Leader Mao lives in my father's old estate in the North. A few miles from the shoreline. It should not be hard to find the tribe. There will be other places but his is the biggest." Hija said quietly, and tried to walk away.

Sesshomaru hadn't excused Hija, and wasn't finished speaking with her. He gently grasped her arm, making her drop the linens. She immediately dropped to her knees, cringing and holding her hand to the side of her face. It was as if her body knew to react to his sudden touch with fear and preparation for a blow. Someone had hurt this girl before- and badly.

"Calm yourself. I am not going to harm you. You mustn't walk away from me when I am speaking to you."

"Forgive me." The girl's eyes were beginning to form tears. "I don't want to remember."

"Remember what exactly?" Sesshomaru's voice was calm but direct, as he let her go.

"I don't want to remember." She said, her body still shaking. She seemed to understand that he meant no harm- but her fear had gotten the best of her.

"It is your choice if you do not want to say it- I'm just curious." He said, reaching down and placing the linens that had fallen back into her arms. She looked at him. There was something very redeeming about Lord Sesshomaru. He had a tough exterior, but there was a softness about him that she could see plain as day. He had shown concern- that much she knew.

"I will be going away now." Sesshomaru said.

"I hope you will return soon, Lord Sesshomaru." Hija said, making a small bow while trying to balance everything in her hands.

Hija watched as Sesshomaru rose and walked out of the room, before she unloaded the linens in her hands onto where he had been sitting. Shaking her tired arms, she sighed. She wished that Sesshomaru was not leaving. Although he was strict, she could see there was nothing in him that wanted to cause her any harm or be cruel to her. Unlike her brother Mao, the new Leader of the Northern Lightning tribe. Her father had always been able to look out for her when he was alive, so her brother had kept his distance. She thought of the day she had watched her father slain.

" _Brother!" She yelled, running through the halls of her fathers estate to find her much older brother, who was a great warrior and respected man amongst his tribe. Mao's relationship with her was nonexistent, as he disliked her for the fact she was not pure blooded like he was. He was thinner than his old man, but bore a great resemblance. He had long black hair that was tied back and on his face was a scar. He was facing away from her when she got to him. She pulled at his clothing, crying. "Big Brother.."_

" _What have I told you about calling me that, Hija? Leave me alone.." He growled, slapping her arms away without looking._

" _Father.." She cried, exasperated. "Someone killed father.."_

 _The man froze for a few moments, his face hidden. When he turned around, his eyes were focused on her. "Say it again."_

" _Someone killed Father! A man who pretended to be my mother!" She exclaimed, her tears beginning to slow. "Someone called Naraku."_

 _Mao winced at the name, and turned away. "And you just stood there watching it happen?"_

" _I was scared.." Her crying almost came to a halt._

" _Little coward.." He sneered. "This is your fault. My father would be alive if it weren't for you and your slut mother."_

 _Hija shook her head. "That's not true.."_

 _He became silent again.. before turning his back to her. "I will announce my fathers death to the others. They will want to hear it from me. I expect you to be there as well."_

 _Hija nodded, a few more tears trickling down her face. "What will we do?"_

" _I will worry about this Naraku. There is nothing we can do to get father back, so you can just forget about that. Now go."_

 _When it was time, Mao announced that their father was slain, and sent out some of his best men to go investigate at the shoreline. He also announced his succession of his fathers position, of course making sure not to look too relieved that he was finally the one in charge. He made a promise to be an even better leader than his father and protect their way of life, looking straight at Hija. An uneasy feeling creeped up her spine when he did this._

 _Her fear came to life a few days later when "mysteriously", some important scrolls went missing and were found in her things, written on with child-like pictures that were not her own doing. She insisted she was innocent, but none would listen to the half blood who's existence was merely tolerated before this. One of her brothers men dragged her by her arm into a large room, where everybody in the tribe she had known her whole life seemed to be, looking at her with disapproval. Mao sat up high on a throne meant just for him. He put his hands up in the air to silence everyone as Hija was dropped in front of him._

" _We have all been called here today on a very somber note." He stood up, walking around to make eye contact with all of his subjects as he spoke to them. "Even as I speak now, my heart fails me. Our little Hija has been accused of stealing something very valuable to us and defacing it."_

 _He held up the scrolls with the new crudely drawn pictures on it._

" _I didn't do that!" She shouted, causing the voices in the room to rise once again. Mao shoved the ruined scrolls into one of the elders hands._

" _Silence!" He called again, putting his hands up. "Now.. it would not be just of me to make any decisions here. She is, after all, my father's child. I would not want to show favor merely because of this."_

 _Hija watched as the others shook their head in agreement, hardly knowing that he was only saying these things to make it look like he was being selfless. All of her life, he hadn't wanted anything to do with her. And he had never acknowledged her as family before. Why now? Being only eight, she didn't realize immediately what Mao was really doing._

" _That is why I have decided that I will leave the judgement..." He began, looking at everyone around him, turning to look at those behind him. "To all of you."_

" _She's just a child! Why is she on trial?" A woman yelled. Hija turned to see that it was one of her father's close subjects that spoke, before she was quickly ushered out of the room by more than one of her brother's men._

 _Hija was too shocked to cry as her brother pulled her to her feet, and put his large hand around the back of her neck to make her face the crowd. "All who think she is innocent, speak now."_

 _Hija's eyes traveled from person to person, watching their faces look at her as if she had done something horrible. "All those who think she is guilty-"_

 _The room became loud again with the voices of his people, cursing Hija and nodding, clearly in favor of her guilty outcome. He took his hand from the back of her neck to raise his hands for silence a third time._

" _The people have spoken. It is with a heavy heart that I announce Hija is found guilty of theft."_

 _Her spine tingled with heat, not believing what she was hearing. She hadn't done anything, yet she was found guilty so fast? Her case had hardly been made, and the one person who was to defend her had been shown out. It hardly seemed fair._

" _The usual sentence for this.." He paused, seemingly waiting for something._

" _Ahem." Mao turned to see one of his right hand men speaking up, right on cue. "I am not one for speaking for the guilty, but I think that particular sentence should not apply to one so young. I don't think anyone here would like to see a child executed."_

 _That word. Hija almost passed out when she heard it. How could it have come to this?_

" _What say you then?" Her brother said, crossing his arms._

" _I think it fitting that the child is punished severely for her misdeed. In the usual way."_

 _The new leader fought away a smirk that was coming across his face, and nodded in agreement._

" _Your suggestion has been taken into account. It is decided that the sentence shall be corporal punishment. Thank you all for making the decision that I could not… This trial is hereby finished."_

 _As the people of the crowd started to disperse, Hija saw two men were coming to lead her away and she immediately fell to her knees at Mao's feet, wrapping her arms around his legs desperately. "Please don't let them take me, Big Brother! I didn't do it! Make them go away!"_

 _Mao's face remained stoic as he squatted down to her level, placing his hand on her head as if in an affectionate manner. She felt his fingers lock into her hair before he pulled her off of him and stared at her. His eyes were dark and unforgiving. He spoke to her in a low voice. "I have told you, you are not to call me that. Father is gone, Hija. And unfortunately for me, that leaves you in my care. You are my responsibility, and you dared to do something as stupid as this. You are lucky I arranged for a lighter sentence before the trial in the event you were found guilty. Say 'thank you sir'."_

" _Thank you, sir." She managed to get out through her tears._

 _Standing up again, he let go of her. When his two men approached they took one look at the child with her face in her palms and hesitated. "Are you sure you want us to do this, sir?"_

" _Is that sympathy I hear in your voice?.. That won't do. I cannot allow sympathetic parties to do this. You think I want our people thinking she received special treatment?"_

" _I'm sorry if I showed weakness, Leader Mao." he immediately apologized. "I will carry out her sentence."_

" _No. I will take this opportunity to show you and everyone who is still present how I plan to rule- as a selfless and unbiased leader. You'll be the one to hold her down..." He said, shaking his head. "I will do it."_

Hija experienced her brother's "selflessness" in great detail that day. Over the next couple days she became skeptical that he was involved with her framing, but since there was nothing she could do, she tried not to think about it. She was his responsibility now, and he did not let her forget it. Mao's mate was almost worse than him, as she despised having to share in watching after the girl. She routinely blamed Hija for everything, and would find any little thing to chastise her. She had once had a name but Hija was only allowed to refer to her as "Miss" now. It had become clear to Hija that she was now a second class citizen among the people she grew up around. After the scrolls incident, the others hated her openly, and treated her with disdain. The other children had been making fun of her so ruthlessly that one day, she raised a hand to defend herself, even though she knew she shouldn't. That day, she dreaded going home to her brother and his mate.

 _When she found the door, she stood there for a minute and took a deep breath. As quietly as possible, she opened the door and slid it closed it behind her. Her feet were like little mice, making very little sound as the evade the ears of the Leader and his woman. All in vain, because she soon felt the sting of a skinny hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her violently in the other direction. "Miss..."_

" _Don't speak, girl. You have done enough." Mao's mate was pulling her so hard, she thought her arm might come off. "You couldn't just keep your head down, could you? Could you?!"_

" _I tried, Miss. I really tried." Her voice was pleading. "I won't do it again."_

 _The woman stopped, turned around, and slapped Hija across the face with her other hand. "Learn your place, half blood. You will never walk among the others again. You are not to leave this place anymore. Do you understand me?!" She shouted._

" _Yes, Miss." Hija whispered, trying to be brave and not cry, even though everything within her wanted to. She rubbed her cheek with her sleeve._

 _Mao's mate stopped at a door and slid it open, the inside was very small, with a couple of the old Leaders things inside, to be forgotten. She released Hija's wrist and began to pull at the girls clothing. Too frightened to say anything, Hija breathed erratically as her dress was taken from her, and her bare skin touched the air. Naked and afraid, she was shoved down into the small space and the door closed behind her. "Please don't leave me in here.." Her voice cracked, as she turned and traced the door with her hands. "Miss.. it's so dark in here."_

" _Think upon your faults. Also upon the embarrassment you have caused the Leader and I." Her words were like venom. "You will stay there until_ _ **he**_ _gets back."_

 _Hija hugged herself with her hands. It was cold and dark and the only thing she could take comfort was the smell of her father coming from his old belongings. For an hour or more she waited, terrified of both being abandoned here and also of being let out. When the door finally slid open, she didn't look up to Mao as his hand snapped down to grab her._

That night, there wasn't a neighbor or passerby that couldn't hear her desperate cries for forgiveness, but all turned the other way. The days following, Hija became a shadow of her former self. In just two and a half weeks, she had gone from being the daughter of a doting father and a happy child to an outcast and a captive in her brothers home. She tried her best to be good and please them, but there was no such thing as a behaved half blood as far as the Leader and his mate were concerned, and they almost seemed to find delight in her agony. They would give her impossible tasks to do, and beat her if she didn't do it right. She thought often about running away, but was way too frightened of her keepers to ever act upon it. Hija wondered if things would always be like this.

One day, the very same woman who had spoken up at her trial happened by the estate. Having heard a scream, she asked someone nearby only to be told that she should mind her own business. Unable to ignore the sounds of distress, she ran in. She was red in the face already when she opened the door to the room and saw what was going on. Hija was naked on the floor, and everywhere from the top of her back down to the back of her knees was marked with blood red stripes. Leader Mao stood above her, whipping her so loudly he didn't notice that the woman had entered.

" _ENOUGH!" The womans voice bellowed._

 _The Leader stopped and turned to face her. "Are you crazy, Ida? What right do you think you have to barge in here while I am trying to discipline?"_

" _This isn't discipline. Your father would never have done this." The woman had already pushed by him and made her way to Hija- lifting her up into her arms gently. The girl cried weakly into her, stammering sorries into her ear. "Shhhhhh.. it's okay. We're leaving."_

" _In case you have forgotten, you are not my father's confidant anymore. I am the new Leader. You can't just come in here and take Hija from me." He said._

" _Watch me." Ida said, heading for the door. Mao stubbornly made his way in front of the woman, blocking the door._

" _You will regret this day if you do not leave her." He said. She shoved her way by him, and he didn't try to stop her. "I will see you soon, Ida."_

 _Hija had only been with the woman Ida for a couple hours when they came for her. She hid under a table as she heard a few of her brothers men enter. There was shouting, and stuff being knocked over as Ida tried to forcefully remove them. She was strong, but there was only so much she could do by herself. Eventually, she was overpowered by them. That's when Mao showed up. Hija covered her eyes as he removed his sword from his side and began to walk towards the weakened demoness._

"Hija." A voice called from up the hall. She snapped out of it and grabbed the linens.

"Coming, my Lady." Her little voice called back as she trotted over.

"Ah.." Sesshomaru's mother grabbed the linens out of her little arms and handed them off to one of her other servants. "I trust my son has sorted you out."

"Yes, Mistress." The girl tried her best to look chastised. "I apologize for my behavior last night."

"You are forgiven." The Lady smiled, seemingly in a good mood. "Where is Lord Sesshomaru?"

"I- I think he just left, my Lady." She said, looking to either side of her.

The Lady shook her head, an annoyed smile coming over her face. "My son knows I would beg him to stay."

Hija looked up at the Lady of the West, and smiled as well. "I hope upon his return, my Lady."

"I am surprised to hear you say such a thing. No one here does." Her face was serious, but intrigued.

Hija thought maybe she had said too much, so she bit her lip and looked to the floor.

"Well.." The Lady began. "If you do like him so much, you can be in charge of taking care of his room and his belongings."

Hija sighed quietly to herself. "Yes, Mistress."

"Good girl." The Lady patted the top of the girls head gently and walked away.

…

It had taken a few more days, but Hitomi had made a great recovery. The wound on her head was almost unnoticeable and no longer covered in bandages, and her walking stick lay unused in the corner of the room that she had taken residence in. She made a short bow to Naraku as he entered the room.

"Thank you for all your kindness and helping me recover, Lord Naraku." Her voice was not deep, but it had a strength to it. "I could not have done this without your help."

"Do not thank me.." The great actor shook his head. "I am just glad to see you as you were before all this."

Hitomis red hair was bright and bouncy, and her green eyes were like emeralds. There were a few freckles lining her nose and cheeks. She smiled. "I don't know what it is I can do to repay your kindness."

"Perhaps there is something you can do for yourself." Naraku suggested, motioning for her to sit down before he sat across from her. "I think I have located the dog demon who did this to you."

"If you have, you must let me know." She tensed up, angered at the mentioning of such a beast.

"I can help you bring him down, but I will need you to have patience." Naraku's voice slithered into her ear.

"Where is he?" Her fingers curled up in her fists.

"I am finding that out now for you." Naraku said. "But if you truly wish to pay me back for my kindness, you will not endanger yourself by attacking him. I merely need you to meet him and gain his trust. Find his weakness and then I can help you bring him down."

"How could I ever share a pleasantry with the one who tried to kill me? I'm sorry, Lord Naraku, but this is crazy. He would recognize me, anyways. No. I will bring him down."

"I cannot allow you to get yourself killed." Naraku said, convincing the unsuspecting vixen that he really cared for her. "He would not recognize you, you will disguise yourself."

Hitomi growled at her own thoughts. She couldn't even remember how anybody looked before she came here. Not the dog demon, not her family or her friends.. no one. She grabbed her head in confusion, trying desperately to remember. Naraku gently took her hands and put them to her sides, letting his fingers find her face.

"If this is too much for you, I will not bring it up again." He said, caressing her cheek.

"No… it's not. I am sorry for reacting this way." Hitomi did a small bow. "I owe you so much and yet I will not listen to your reason. You must think I am awful."

Naraku let his lingering hand fall from her face and trace all the way down to her collarbone, secretly fantasizing about choking her little neck. He noticed she was became very hot at his touch, and that her smell changed. "I do not think you are awful. You are just.." He let his hand find her waist. "Passionate."

Hitomi blushed at his traveling hands. "Lord Naraku.."

"Am I out of line, Hitomi?" He asked, knowing she would not refuse him. The little fox woman was aroused, and he knew it. His human heart jumped at the opportunity to feel flesh against its own once again.

"No.." Hitomi squeaked, pulling his hand up to her breast. "Don't stop."

He cupped her breast through her clothes, squeezing gently. She gasped in pleasure, allowing him to get closer to her. Naraku moved with his other hand, reaching under her kimono to find her center. When he found it, he brushed it lightly, feeling her wetness. Hitomi moaned lightly. He continued to tease her with his fingers for a few moments while she squirmed. With his other hand, he began to untie her dressings, opening her body to him. She felt so exposed like this, and so she tried to cover herself.

"Don't hide yourself from me." He said quietly, letting her clothing drop to the floor. "Do you not trust me?"

"I trust you." She whispered. Unlike Kagura, Hitomi had a very petite, curveless figure. Her breasts were small and perky, and fit very comfortably in Naraku's hand. He let his own robes slip off his body as he let his fingers slide into the little woman. She breathed out and used her hand to feel his chest. She felt guilty for allowing him to have her so easily, but she couldn't help herself. He removed his fingers and pushed her down gently onto her back.

" _She's so eager. Take her, you imbecile." Onigumo's voice whispered in his mind. "I want to hear her shout."_

Naraku growled at the voice as he looked at the vixen laying on her back with her knees locked together in a coy manner. Obeying his thoughts, he roughly pulled her knees apart, exposing her most private area to him. She gasped, but didn't try to stop him. Hitomi desired him.

Wrapping his hands around each of her thighs, he held them firmly apart. Leaning down, he began to taste her. The feeling of his rough tongue on her sensitive folds awoke her body greatly, and she couldn't contain her pleasure. She shouted loudly, and tried to close her legs, but he kept her in place as he had his fill of her, enjoying the taste of a woman for the first time in ages. He did this for several minutes as she moaned uncontrollably.

When he was done, he grabbed her hip and pulled her up and over. On all fours, she was open to him. He moved himself behind her, opting not to see her face. Grabbing her waist, he shoved himself deep inside of her. She shouted out his name as he pumped in and out of her. He closed his eyes, and became harder. For what seemed like an eternity of bliss, he had Hitomi carrying on loudly as he grabbed the back of her hair and let her have what she desired. He growled as he released his seed into her. His heart calmed, and he let Hitomi go, making her fall onto her stomach.

"Oomph." She pulled herself onto her side, and turned to see Naraku, who was looking a little conflicted. She kissed him on the lips, and he allowed her to, although he did not kiss her back.

"I like you very much, Hitomi." The old sinner lied.

These are the words she had wanted to hear from him, and so she fell into his arms. Her face was buried in his warm chest. A sinister smile came over his face. He couldn't help but be entertained by how easily he could manipulate Hitomi. She knew nothing of her life before her run in with the rat demons, and so he would take advantage of her to get what he wanted. She was merely a pawn in his game, ready to be played.

"I can give you the peace you have been looking for. I can help you bring down the one who harmed you. All you have to do is trust me." Like a snake, he slithered into her mind.

She looked up at him. "I trust you."

"Good. You will have to become close to the creature by any means, and learn anything you can about him, and bring the information right back to me."

Hitomi sighed and nodded her head. "I will do this. But I must know.. what is the name of the dog demon that I seek?"

Naraku smirked, letting his finger slide onto the womans shoulder.

"Sesshomaru."

…..

" _I'm getting closer to finding Naraku. But when I do.. will she be there? Did she fall the day she left? If she no longer walks this earth- how will I forget her? It is not usual of me to care. But I cannot deny that she has left her mark on me. It was only one night.."_

 _Sesshomaru thought about the smile that came over her rouge lips and she pulled him down for their lips to meet._

" _Naraku brought her into this world so perfect. How is a beast like that capable of creating such beauty?"_


End file.
